For endorsing his candidacy as concensus Gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Saturday November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Leke Abejide has sent a message of appreciation to the elders from the Kogi West senatorial district
He expressed his appreciation at a meeting with his campaign organisation and the media in his campaign headquarters in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital on Wednesday
Abejide, a two-term member of the House of representatives (Yagba federal constituency) said he was humbled and honoured by the unequalled gesture of the leaders and statesmen.
In his words, “I can only profoundly appreciate our elders in the Kogi West Elders Forum (KWEF) for the endorsement. Not one Kobo was requested from me by the septuagenarians and octogenarians, and not one penny was paid out by me and my campaign team.
“It is an insult of the highest order to insinuate that a colossus like Baba General David Jemibewon collected money to endorse me. I was still a toddler when Baba Jemibewon was already calling the shots as military governor of the old Western State. It was that “Western State” that spawned the five states namely: Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti. Baba, a serial grandfather is too decent, too disciplined to be insulted by any form of gratification. I am too restrained and circumspect myself, to dare any such abomination.”
Abejide attributed the goodwill so extended to him by the KWEF to the acknowledgement of his efforts as a public servant.
According to him: “I believe my antecedents speak volumes. This must have informed their unanimous decision to bless my candidacy.”
He appealed to his co-contestants and fellow Okun kinsmen like the PDP candidate, Senator Dino Melaye and the Action Alliance, (AA) candidate, Olayinka Braimoh to look at the merits of his endorsement in the wisdom of the elders.
He asked them to join hands with him in ensuring the actualization of power shift to Kogi West in January 2024.”
The endorsement Abejide noted “is aimed at reducing the number of candidates from Kogi West, thereby increasing the chances of our senatorial zone in the election.
“Kogi West has never produced a governor of Kogi State in over 32 years of its creation and the 2023 poll provides us a good opportunity if we all work together.”
“I learnt some have said they will not agree with the elders decision, and I said that is fine. We are in a democracy and individual preferences are allowed. By God’s grace we will all be alive to witness November 11. Then we shall validate the most popular and most acceptable candidate in the broad spectrum of Kogi State.”
According to him: “By God’s grace, we shall see the candidate who is more on ground, who is more accessible and who is more popular. We will see that candidate who receives mass support for competence and performance and goodwill, not just in Kogi West but across the three senatorial districts.”
Explaining further, he said, “My endorsement is partly in recognition that my candidature is a product of a coalition, it is beyond the African Democratic Congress. If you look at the chairman of my campaign council, Chief Shola Ojo, former Secretary to Kogi State Government, he is of the PDP.
“The Director General of the campaign council, Hon Adagu Suberu, a former Chairman of Okehi Council was of APC, he was even DG to Governor Yahaya Bello twice. If you look at the Chairman, Intra-party Relations, Chief Hassan Salau, he was the Kogi State chairman of the PDP.
“I am of the ADC, with my original background in the APC. So it is a rainbow coalition. That is why our slogan is called ‘Rescue Mission’. We have come together for the sole purpose of rescuing Kogi from the present state of socioeconomic subjugation and despair. We want to install a government that will positively impact the lives of the improvised masses, whose singular offence is that they were sired from this state.”