Top leaders and prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yagba Federal Constituency have thrown their weight behind Hon. Leke Abejide’s emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election. Speaking through the Leke Abejide Support Group (LASG), they insisted that Abejide’s victory at the primary election was the true expression of APC members’ will across the constituency.
The group dismissed recent criticisms of Abejide’s candidacy, labeling them as the result of political disappointment and a deliberate effort to discredit the democratic decision made by party members. They stated unequivocally that there was no attempt to extend the lawmaker’s tenure, as alleged by critics, and that Abejide submitted himself to a transparent primary election where he secured an overwhelming mandate.
The statement was signed by several notable figures, including Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo; Chairmen of Yagba West, Yagba East, and Mopamuro Local Governments – Hon. Tosin Olokun, Hon. Dare Joshua, and Hon. Ademola Bello; as well as APC chieftains Chief Babatunde Samuel, Chief Omotosho Oluseyi, Hon. Ayo Mayegun, Hon. Bode Kayode, Pastor Kehinde Asalu, Hon. Oluwaseyi Giwa, Hon. Nike Akolade, Chief Richard Asaje, Engr. Toba Adebayo, Mr. Babatunde Moses, Hon. Temitope Omotosho, Mr. Olarewaju Emmanuel, Mr. Emmanuel Adeniyi, Mr. Ajengbe Samuel, Hon. Loveth Samuel, Mrs. Stella Adegoke, and Mrs. Funmilayo Odi, among others.
The APC leaders argued that those now challenging the primary outcome had openly backed a different aspirant but failed to win the confidence of party members. They noted that the result was decisive and reflected the preference of APC members across all 34 wards of Yagba Federal Constituency. They called attempts to invalidate the result through media campaigns and public agitation undemocratic, urging party faithful to respect the verdict of the members.
The leaders also rejected arguments based on zoning and rotational arrangements, asserting that such informal understandings cannot override the constitutional rights of eligible citizens to contest elections or the right of voters to choose their preferred representatives. They explained that opponents of Abejide’s emergence had misinterpreted the Constitution, which neither imposes term limits on legislators nor bars any qualified Nigerian from seeking office.
“Democracy is not about excluding a candidate based on his origin. Democracy is about letting the people decide who best represents their interests,” the group declared.
Highlighting Abejide’s achievements, the APC leaders pointed to scholarship programs that have benefited thousands, empowerment initiatives for women and youth, infrastructural projects across communities, and a recent grant program in which over seventy communities received ₦10 million each to execute self-selected projects. They said the lawmaker’s track record of performance, accessibility, and community-focused interventions has earned him widespread support.
“The people are interested in results. They are interested in impact. They are interested in leaders who understand their needs and have demonstrated the capacity to meet them,” the statement added. The APC leaders called on party members and the public to disregard efforts to distort the primary election outcome, insisting that the democratic process produced a clear winner. They emphasized that no amount of political pressure, revisionism, or propaganda can overturn a mandate freely given by APC members.
“The party members have spoken. The people have spoken. Democracy has spoken, and its verdict deserves respect,” they concluded.