‘Democracy must be defended’ – Yagba APC leaders defend Abejide’s emergence as candidate

Party leaders, elected officials and prominent chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from across Yagba Federal Constituency have rallied behind the emergence of Leke Abejide as the party’s candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election.

They declared that Abejide’s victory at the party’s primary election reflects the genuine will of APC members.

The leaders, speaking under the platform of the Leke Abejide Support Group, LASG, dismissed recent criticisms of Abejide’s emergence, describing them as the product of political disappointment and a deliberate attempt to undermine the democratic decision freely made by party members across the constituency.

In a statement, the leaders said there was no attempt by anyone to extend the tenure of the lawmaker as alleged by his critics, stressing that Abejide subjected himself to the APC primary election and secured an overwhelming mandate through a transparent democratic process.

The statement was signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo; Chairman of Yagba West Local Government and ALGON Chairman in Kogi State, Hon. Tosin Olokun; Chairman of Yagba East Local Government, Hon. Dare Joshua; Chairman of Mopamuro Local Government, Hon. Ademola Bello, APC chieftains Chief Babatunde Samuel, Chief Omotosho Oluseyi (The Akeweje of Ogga), 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 other party leaders and grassroots mobilizers across Yagba Federal Constituency.

They maintained that his candidacy was neither inherited nor imposed, but earned through popular support across the Federal Constituency.

The APC leaders argued that those now challenging the outcome of the primary election had openly backed another aspirant during the contest but failed to secure the confidence of party members at the polls.

They noted that the outcome of the election was decisive and reflected the preference of APC members across the 34 wards of Yagba Federal Constituency.

Describing attempts to invalidate the result through media campaigns and public agitation as undemocratic, the group urged all party faithful to respect the verdict delivered by members of the party.

The leaders also faulted arguments based on zoning and rotational arrangements, insisting that such understandings cannot supersede the constitutional rights of eligible citizens to contest elections or the right of voters to choose their preferred representatives.

They argued that the constitutional provisions cited by opponents of Abejide’s emergence were wrongly interpreted, noting that the Constitution neither imposes term limits on legislators nor prohibits any qualified Nigerian from seeking elective office.

“Democracy is not about excluding a candidate because of where he comes from. Democracy is about allowing the people to decide who is best suited to represent their interests,” the group stated.

Highlighting Abejide’s achievements in office, the APC leaders pointed to scholarship programmes that have benefited thousands of students, empowerment initiatives for women and youths, infrastructural projects spread across communities, and the recent grant programme through which more than seventy communities received ₦10 million each to execute projects of their choice.

They said the lawmaker’s track record of performance, accessibility and community-focused interventions has earned him widespread support across Yagba Federal Constituency.

According to them, the people have moved beyond symbolic representation and are increasingly focused on competence, impact and effective service delivery.

“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 therefore called on party members and the general public to disregard attempts to distort the outcome of the primary election, insisting that the democratic process had run its course and 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 declared.