The sole House of Representatives member on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Leke Abejide, has predicted that the opposition coalition formed around the party will collapse by September.
Abejide, who represents Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, said the coalition’s failure to secure a single seat in the August 16 by-elections signalled the beginning of its end.
“The coalition collapsed last Saturday; across the country, they could not even win one seat. That was the beginning of the end. By early next month, the coalition will collapse completely,” Abejide said while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Friday.
He argued that the group’s attempt to “hijack” the ADC would not succeed, stressing that he remained the “landlord” of the party.
“I didn’t establish the party, but I am the one who kept it alive. I have never defected to a big party. I used the ADC to contest all my elections and also brought others into both the National Assembly and state assembly,” he added.
The lawmaker maintained that key coalition leaders had no roots in the ADC. According to him, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra governor Peter Obi were never members of the party. He noted that while former Senate President David Mark and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola have joined the ADC, they held no leadership roles.
In July, the coalition had adopted the ADC as its political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, naming Mark as interim chairman and Aregbesola as national secretary.
Other prominent members include former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Dino Melaye, former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalong, former Benue governor Gabriel Suswam, and publisher Dele Momodu.
Abejide had earlier dismissed the coalition as a gathering of “selfish politicians” with no serious plans for Nigeria, describing their move to use the ADC for 2027 as a “daydream.”