The lawmaker representing Yagba East-West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has joined the Kogi State governorship race.

Abejide, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise, picked the nomination and declaration of interest forms of the African Democratic Congress in Abuja on Monday.

Speaking with journalists after presenting his forms to ADC members and constituents, the lawmaker said it was the turn of the Yoruba-speaking part of Kogi State to produce the next governor of the state.

Abejide, who had just won a second term in the House on the platform of the ADC, claimed that Okun people in other political parties were backing his governorship ambition.

In the APC, those aspiring to be Kogi governor and have already picked up the party’s N50m forms include the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi; and the member of the House representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in Lagos State, James Faleke.

Others are Abdulkareem Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello; Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund, Dr Sanusi Ohiare; Auditor General for Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo; and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Salami Ozigi-Deedat; Director-General, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Babatunde Irukera.

Incidentally, Abejide is from the same Okun zone with Adeyemi and Faleke, a former deputy governorship candidate in Kogi.

Abejide pointed out that it was the turn of Okun people to govern the state for the first time, after the Igala and Ebira in the other districts had ruled the state.

He said, “Kogi State is going down the drain and if we do not take it now, it would atrophy completely. Our people are not getting their salaries as and when due; those that are getting are getting percentages, some like 20 per cent, 15 per cent. These I want to erase and that is why I want to become governor.”

“ADC has prospects. Before, I was the only one in the state. Now, we have members with me who won seats (in the House) and we won (Kogi House of) Assembly seats. Those ones that they took away by force, we would reclaim them through the court.