In a no-holds-barred message passed, Yagba Progressives Group (YPG), comprising political and opinion leaders of note from Yagba Federal Constituency, Kogi State on Friday made a passionate and all options considered appeal to their Representative in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, Hon Leke Abejide to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). Abejide, a two-term serving lawmaker, was elected twice on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in 2019 and 2023, respectively. Until 2019, Abejide was a member and financier of the APC.
Furthermore, Abejide, despite being an opposition member in the House continued to support APC policies at the national level. He is also a notable supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu right from the APC presidential primaries through to the 2023 General Elections.
The conveners of the YPG include: the Chairmen of the three local councils in Yagba Federal Constituency, namely Hon Dare Monday Joshua (Yagba East Council), Hon Tosin Olokun (Yagba West Council) and Hon Ademola Bello (Mopamuro Council). On the roll call of the conveners are former and currently serving political office holders from across Yagbaland, namely Barrister Bola Fabola, Comrade Shola Adebola, Engr Toba Adebayo, Hon Maiyaki Sunday, Mrs Beatrice Araiyedupin, Chief (Mrs) Grace Ojo, Chief Babtunde Moses Bablo, among others.
YPG at the crowded press conference in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, attended by all the aforementioned personalities, thumbed up Abejide’s numerous achievements since elected to the House of Representatives six years ago and passed a vote of confidence on him for his leadership style.
Noting that Abejide, although an ADC member, his achievements are not without his alliance with the APC, the group recommended that “he move back to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), where we believe he will be able to serve the people better”.
YPG in the statement titled “Elder Leke Abejide’s Political Clout, and the Call to Join the All Progressives Congress (APC)”, declared: “Our decision is also hinged on the fact that moving to APC will enable him to compliment the efforts of Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo in Kogi who is doing well as a governor and President Bola Tinubu at the Federal level as the President. All of these we have said in the interest of Yagba people as they strategically position themselves for political opportunities in the nearest future”.
The statement also noted: “YPG conveyed this gathering to X-ray the political state of Yagba Federal Constituency vis a vis our representative, Elder Leke Abejide. Leadership, they say, is the ability to identify and deliver the interests of a person and/or group of people for a common cause. This is not far-fetched in the realities of political development in Kogi State and in Yagba West, Yagba East, and Mopamuro Federal Constituency as it concerns Rep. Leke Abejide.
“We observe the position of our representative at the House of Representatives, Hon. Leke Abejide, and pass a vote of confidence on him in view of his outstanding performance both on the floor and outside the National Assembly.
“We observe the impact his numerous empowerment schemes have on the constituents, notably the free-interest loan given to women across Yagba Fed constituency (as we speak capturing is ongoing in Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Constituency.
“We applaud the recent flag off of road construction in the federal constituency (Igbagun to Isanlu, Makutu Road etc). He has influenced and personally sponsored roads rehabilitation and reconstruction and built a state -of -the -art ICT Facility, he intermittently provide food and clothings materials, he distributed working tools and equipment for artisans, he provides seedlings, farm tools and fertilizer for farmers, distributed SUVs and other cars for Royal fathers and others.
“We also observe his growing political acceptability at the national level. We also observed the growing concerns from political friends and associates and political actors at the top echelon, so we the constituents will benefit more if he is in the ruling party. Elder Leke Abejide – a prominent political figure, not only in Kogi State, but in Nigeria as a whole. the representative of the people of Yagba Federal Constituency since 2019, an election he won on the ground that he identifies with the interest of the people, even on a self sponsored party
“Elder Leke Abejide, though a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but due to some political exigencies left the party and he won his elections (first and second terms) as House of Representatives member under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)”.
YPG continued: “Maintaining his relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Elder Leke Abejide has always been delivering dividends of democracy to his constituents and constituency. Elder Leke Abejide, as a major supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 Presidential Election, also accepted to support Gov. Usman Ahmed Ododo, who won the Kogi Gubernatorial election under the APC.
“Since the achievements of Elder Leke Abejide are not without his alliance with the APC, we recommend as follows: We pass a vote of confidence on his leadership. And we do here by recommend that he move back to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), where we believe he will be able to serve the people better. Our decision is also hinged on the fact that moving to APC will enable him to compliment the efforts of Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo in Kogi who is doing well as a governor and President Bola Tinubu at the Federal level as the President. All of these we have said in the interest of Yagba people as they strategically position themselves for political opportunities in the nearest future”.
