Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, has asked Leke Abejide, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, to remain in the party and work to destabilise the ADC coalition led by former Senate President David Mark. 

Mr Gbajabiamila, who spoke at Mr Abejide’s wedding anniversary in Abuja on Monday, told the lawmaker to disregard a request from former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, urging him to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I know you to be a committed party man, I know you to be somebody who does not like to be cheated, so my charge to you is to stay in that same ADC, fight them, scatter them. You should hold on to your party ADC, do not allow them, we like what you’re doing,” Mr Gbajabiamila said.

He also charged the lawmaker to work in partnership with Nafiu Bala Gombe, an aggrieved ADC member who is laying claim to the party’s chairmanship position in an ongoing case at the Federal High Court.

He added, “I know the former governor said you should come and join APC, no, no, stay in ADC, win your re-election in ADC, and you will. Bring Bala Gombe, and we will support you. Do the right thing, you’re the party, do the right thing, nobody can come and take your party away from you, a party that you built for years with your sweat and your money, and everything; no, continue, good luck in court.”

Mr Abejide, an ADC lawmaker and a staunch supporter of Mr Tinubu, in a recent interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, reaffirmed his commitment to the president’s re-election in 2027, while also noting that his heart belongs to both the ruling party, APC and the opposition party, the ADC.

He noted that the president had been his leader for many years, adding that he had been a member of the APC before joining the ADC.

“My heart is in the APC, and in the ADC. It is not a crime, because I have brothers that I cannot separate from who are in the APC, and I cannot separate from them because of politics,” he said.

When asked whom he would vote for as president in 2027, Mr Abejide said, “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and it’s not about party.”

Mr Abejide had been strongly criticised for alleged anti-party activities.

Last week, the Kogi lawmaker and Mr Gombe co-led a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the electoral body to disregard the Mr Mark-led faction of the ADC.

During the protest, they accused Mr Mark’s faction of attempting to hijack the ADC’s leadership in defiance of the party’s constitution and internal processes.

“We are here to urge INEC to do the right thing and rescue democracy from the hands of usurpers. How do you come to a party and attempt to hijack the leadership on the same day? Which political platform is that done? The party constitution is clear about this; you have to spend at least two years in the ADC as an active member before you can aspire for any position. it is clear that the commission has not erred, Mr Abejide said.

“These people are hijackers, and INEC must follow through on reverting to status quo ante bellum by recognising Nafiu Bala Gombe as the national chairman of the party,” he added.

Also speaking during the protest, Mr Gombe insisted that due process must be followed in resolving the leadership dispute.

“We are here to urge INEC to follow due process. You cannot come to the ADC through the window and expect to overturn its owners. As democrats, we don’t want any moneybags to come and destroy democracy. The ADC is for all Nigerians from wards, states to national levels,” he said.