Yagba APC Youths Warn Against Alleged Plan to Hand Leke Abejide Party Ticket for 2027

By Iyojo Ameh

The Concerned All Progressives Congress (APC) Youths of Yagba Federal Constituency have issued a strong warning to Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the state leadership of the party against any move to bring Hon. Leke Abejide into the APC or hand him the party’s House of Representatives ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement signed by the group and circulated on Tuesday, the youths cautioned that such a move would not only undermine the integrity of the party but also spell “political disaster” for the APC in Yagba land.

They alleged that Abejide’s previous electoral victories were not due to genuine popularity but were products of protest votes and divisions within major political parties.

“Hon. Leke Abejide’s political rise was never built on popularity or genuine acceptance. His emergence in 2019 was the product of confusion and rebellion within the APC and PDP,” the statement read. “At the time, both parties suffered internal grievances over imposed candidates. He rode on the anger of others, not the love of the people.”

The group further accused the former lawmaker of betraying promises made to political stakeholders in Yagba land. They claimed that Abejide, who contested and won elections under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had pledged to honour the principle of rotation by 2027 a promise they said has now been broken.

According to the youths, many of the key figures who once supported Abejide have since distanced themselves from him. They listed several names, including Hon. Sam Aro, Hon. Idowu Ibikunle (Kuli), Chief T.J. Faniyi, Hon. Ganiyu Salaudeen (Erukutu), Dr. Toyin Akanle, Chief Dare Olatunde (Mayegun), Engr. Kayode Adegbayo (Olomo), and Hon. Edward Meseko, among others.

“If his popularity were genuine, why did it evaporate so quickly?” the statement asked. “Why did it fail to count during his 2023 gubernatorial bid when his supposed grassroots army could not even deliver their polling units?”

Describing Abejide as “a political liability dressed as an asset,” the group accused him of abandoning his base and losing relevance even within the ADC. They also questioned his loyalty to the APC and President Bola Tinubu, noting that his earlier boast of becoming “the Wike of ADC for Tinubu” has not translated into action.

The group reminded the governor and party hierarchy that the APC has never won the House of Representatives seat in Yagba Federal Constituency since 1999 — a trend they attributed to imposition of candidates and disregard for local dynamics.

“If this same mistake is repeated in 2027 by granting Leke Abejide a free pass, history will repeat itself with even more devastating consequences,” they warned. “The people of Yagba are politically conscious and will resist any form of manipulation, no matter who orchestrates it.”

Appealing directly to Governor Ododo, the youths urged him to respect the principle of rotation and uphold fairness in party decisions.

“Your Excellency, we respect your leadership, but we must speak truth to power,” they stated. “If you halt the spirit of rotation and disregard the political balance that has sustained peace and fairness among our people, then you may have yourself to blame come November 2027.”

They concluded by reaffirming their determination to resist any attempt to impose candidates in future elections.

“The era of political imposition is over. Yagba will speak for itself in 2027, and the voice of the people will be loud enough to shake those who dare to betray them,” the statement added.