Chief Dare Olatunde Maiyegun, pioneer Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kogi State, has faulted the claim by Rep. Leke Abejide that he is the “landlord” of the party, saying the lawmaker was not part of its formation in the state.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday, Maiyegun said the ADC’s entry into Kogi was the product of negotiations by a group of political figures, long before Abejide became a member.
“How did you become the landlord of a party you did not know how it was formed?” Maiyegun asked.
“When we brought the ADC to Kogi under then national chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Hon. Leke was busy doing his business in Kano. He was not part of the first, second or third meetings that finalised our adoption of the party.”
According to Maiyegun, the initial push for the ADC in Kogi involved politicians such as Comrade Isah Daniel, Hon. Kashim Mabo, and Hon. Positive Idoko, among others.
He said it was only after the groundwork was completed that Abejide was introduced to the party leadership.
“I was the one who took him to Chief Nwosu. The former chairman is alive and can confirm who brought Leke to him,” Maiyegun stated.
Addressing perceptions that Abejide’s financial contributions had sustained the ADC in Kogi, Maiyegun acknowledged that the lawmaker supported the party during his campaigns, but insisted that such spending did not equate to party ownership.
“If you are contesting an election, you are expected to fund your campaign. That does not make you the national leader of the party. Others have won elections under ADC in Ogun and Ondo States in 2019, contrary to his claim that no one else has done so,” he said.
Maiyegun also criticised Abejide’s bid for a third term in the House of Representatives, describing it as “dead on arrival” due to an existing rotational arrangement in Yagba Federal Constituency.
He explained that the power-sharing formula, in place since 1999, was designed to ensure fairness among Mopamuro, Yagba East, and Yagba West Local Government Areas.
“By the end of his tenure in 2027, Yagba East would have had its full eight years. It will be the turn of Mopamuro to also serve eight years so that all three LGAs will have had 12 years each in fairness and equity,” Maiyegun said.
He accused the lawmaker of reneging on an agreement made with Mopamuro leaders in 2023, when they supported his re-election bid on the understanding that the next term would rotate to their area.
Maiyegun further questioned Abejide’s consistency, noting that while the lawmaker has criticised others for anti-party activities, he has publicly declared his intention to support another party’s candidate in future elections.
“As an elder in the church, he should live by the same principles he preaches. An agreement is an agreement, whether convenient or not,” Maiyegun added.
