From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leke Abejide, has challenged Yoruba and other non-indigenous communities in Kano State to mobilise at least two million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC, candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Abejide made the call on Saturday during the 2026/2027 Kano State Empowerment Programme organised by the Leke Abejide Foundation, where hundreds of millions of naira worth of financial and material support were unveiled for women, widows and other beneficiaries.
The lawmaker, who represents Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State and is also the Asiwaju of Yoruba people in Kano, said the beneficiaries were drawn from Yoruba communities from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states, as well as Ebira and Igala groups.
He explained that the decision to extend his foundation’s intervention to Kano was informed by his 34-year relationship with the state where he lived and did business, noting that the programme was designed to provide sustainable economic opportunities rather than temporary handouts.
Abejide disclosed that the foundation has set aside N500 million interest-free loans for women organised into cooperative societies, including widows and businesswomen, to strengthen their businesses and improve economic independence.
He also announced distribution of food items, clothing and direct financial assistance to widows, assuring that the programme would continue beyond the 2027 elections, and declared that the era of women borrowing at unpayable interest rates was over.
To ensure accountability, he said the foundation has established a monitoring mechanism to track loans and ensure repayment, warning that beneficiaries who default would not qualify for subsequent rounds, while also unveiling plans for a separate empowerment programme for youths and male entrepreneurs.
The lawmaker, however, urged beneficiaries to translate appreciation into political participation, calling for massive support for President Tinubu and all APC candidates.
“I am not just here to spend my hard-earned resources but I am soliciting for your support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Do not treat the election as a party affair but as a collective responsibility,” he said.
Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who attended the event, said the nearly 500,000 votes Tinubu received in Kano in 2023 was unsatisfactory, challenging non-indigenous communities to consolidate and deliver more.
Bello expressed confidence that Abejide would mobilise at least two million votes for Tinubu, adding that support should extend to all APC candidates from presidential to State House of Assembly, and argued that Tinubu should be allowed to complete eight years after Buhari’s eight years from the North.
He defended the Tinubu administration’s performance, citing progress on the Kano-Abuja Federal Highway which he said he had inspected and found satisfactory.
In his remarks, Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusiveness, assuring non-indigenous communities of their rights, security and participation in governance.
Yusuf said his administration had appointed special advisers representing Yoruba, Igbo and northern minority communities and would consider extending representation to Igala and other groups, describing them as important contributors to Kano’s development.
He commended Abejide for extending philanthropy beyond his constituency, describing it as leadership that transcends geographical boundaries, and urged beneficiaries to utilise the support judiciously to expand businesses and improve livelihoods.
