ADC in Crisis: Lawmakers threaten to quit over chairman’s support for protests

Member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leke Abejide, has threatened to dump his African Democratic Congress (ADC) after the national chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu, threw his weight behind the nationwide protests against the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

At a press conference held at the National Assembly on Monday in Abuja, he hinted that he would rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC) if Nwosu sustains his scathing criticism of President Tinubu’s style of governance.

Leke, representing Yagba federal constituency of Kogi State, wondered why Nwosu went out of his way to support the planned #BadGovernance protest without consulting him as the highest political office holder of the party in the country.

Leke, who chairs the House committee on Customs, remarked that his faith in President Tinubu’s capacity to reposition the country remains unshaken despite the fact that he is a card-carrying member of the ADC.

“If the frustration from the ADC national chairman continues, I would have no option but to go back to the APC. He can’t abuse a father figure like Tinubu and I would allow that to happen,” he said.

“In the presidential poll, I supported President Tinubu while my national chairman supported Peter Obi. If it becomes so hot, I will leave and go and rejoin my boss, the President, in APC.”

Abejide insists that there is no justifiable basis for the planned nationwide protests against President Tinubu in view of the milestones so far recorded within the last year.

He called on aggrieved Nigerians to be patient with President Tinubu, who has put in place measures to address the teething challenges besetting the country.

He noted: “I must firmly oppose such action at this critical juncture in our nation’s journey. We cannot deny that our country faces significant challenges. The cost of living has risen, and many Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet.

“These are real issues that require our collective attention and effort. However, it is precisely because of these challenges that we must rally behind an administration that has shown remarkable courage and vision in tackling our longstanding problems head-on.

“Nigerians must know, and especially the youths, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s transformative strides are for the betterment of our collective future. He is carefully sowing seeds that will germinate and yield in both the short term and the long term, just as we have annual crops and perennial crops, thus requiring calculative patience.”