The member representing Yagba East/West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has entered the Kogi State governorship race. Abejide, who chairs the House Committee on Customs and Excise, submitted his nomination and declaration of interest forms to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja on Monday. In an interview with journalists after presenting the forms to ADC members and constituents, he said that the Okun people of Kogi West Senatorial District—the Yoruba‑speaking part of the state—should produce the next governor.
Abejide, who has just secured a second term in the House on the ADC platform, claimed that Okun supporters in other parties are backing his ambition. Within the All Progressives Congress (APC), several aspirants have already paid the party’s ₦50 million filing fee, including Senator Smart Adeyemi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, and James Faleke, the House member for Ikeja Federal Constituency in Lagos State. Other notable APC figures are Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Abdulkareem Asuku; Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Fund, Dr Sanusi Ohiare; Auditor General for Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Salami Ozigi‑Deedat; and Director‑General of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Babatunde Irukera. Abejide shares the Okun zone with Adeyemi and Faleke, the latter a former deputy governorship candidate in Kogi.
Abejide emphasized that it is Okun’s turn to govern the state, noting that the Igala and Ebira groups have previously held the governorship. “Kogi State is going down the drain, and if we do not act now it will atrophy completely,” he warned. He cited delayed and partial salary payments to civil servants—some receiving only 15‑20 percent of what they are owed—as a key issue he intends to address as governor.
When asked about the ADC’s chances of defeating the incumbent All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, Abejide expressed optimism. “ADC has prospects. Previously I was the only one in the state; now we have members who won seats in the House and in the State Assembly. Those seats taken by force will be reclaimed through the courts,” he said. He stressed that his candidacy is driven by popular pressure: “People see me as the only light that can help them. They have tested many before I entered the House of Representatives. They recognize my work—building roads, providing water and electricity, offering free education, and serving five local government areas. I want to extend that to all 21 LGAs.”
Abejide also highlighted the dominance of the Igala and Ebira in Kogi politics as a major reason for his entry into the race. “Our zone is next in line to produce the governor, especially since we are second only to the Igala in population. The Ebira are the smallest group, yet they hold the governorship through Yahaya Bello. So why shouldn’t we claim it? It’s not just me; it’s a coalition—ADC, APC, and even PDP members. I am merely the symbol of that unity, and together we will take the state.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released a timetable for the governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states in October 2022, scheduling the polls for 11 November 2023.
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