***Yusuf Pledges N100m for Yoruba Palace
By Ralph Agbana
House of Representatives member for Yagba Federal Constituency, Kogi State, Leke Abejide, has launched a mobilisation drive targeting more than one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in Kano State ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Abejide made the pledge on Saturday at the 2026/2027 empowerment programme of the Leke Abejide Foundation (LAF), held at the Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabon-Gari, Kano.
The event brought together Yoruba and Kogi indigenes resident in Kano, alongside political leaders, traditional rulers and business stakeholders.
Those present included Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, APC National Youth Leader Dayo Israel and the Oba of the Yoruba community in Kano, Murtala Otisese.
Abejide urged Yoruba and Kogi communities across Kano’s 44 local government areas to organise at polling-unit, ward and local government levels to strengthen their participation in the 2027 elections.
He said the communities could significantly increase their electoral contribution if they coordinated their activities and mobilised voters behind Tinubu and other APC candidates.
The lawmaker recalled that Tinubu received slightly more than 500,000 votes in Kano during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the Yoruba and Kogi populations in the state could help improve the figure in 2027.
He called on residents to support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, Governor Yusuf and APC candidates contesting National Assembly, senatorial and state assembly seats.
Abejide, who described himself as the Asiwaju of the Yoruba people in Kano, said his relationship with the state dated back to February 1993, when he arrived from Alu in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He attributed part of his business success to Kano and said the foundation’s decision to extend its empowerment programme to the state was motivated by a desire to give back to the community.
Yusuf pledges N100m for Yoruba palace
Governor Yusuf commended Abejide for extending his empowerment activities beyond his home constituency, describing Kano as a commercial centre that accommodates Nigerians from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
He acknowledged the contributions of Yoruba, Ebira and Igala communities to the state’s economic and political development.
The governor also expressed confidence that Kano would deliver substantial support for Tinubu in 2027, arguing that the APC’s political position in the state had changed since the 2023 election.
A major highlight of the event was Yusuf’s announcement that the state government would provide land for the proposed palace of the Oba of the Yoruba community in Kano.
He said Abejide would not need to purchase the land and pledged to inspect the proposed site and review the building plan before the government formally joined the project.
Yusuf also announced a personal donation of N100 million towards the construction.
Earlier, Abejide had disclosed a N200 million contribution from Alhaja Salem, a N500 million pledge from an individual who requested anonymity, and a proposed land contribution valued at N220 million.
Foundation launches N500m interest-free loan scheme
Beyond political mobilisation, Abejide announced a N500 million interest-free loan scheme for women engaged in business across Kano State.
He said beneficiaries had been organised into cooperative societies based on their business activities, with loan amounts determined by their individual business capacity.
The programme covers women of Yoruba extraction from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara states, as well as Kogi indigenes from Ebira, Igala and Bassa communities.
Abejide said the cooperative arrangement would promote accountability, monitor the use of funds and ensure that repayments made the facility available to other beneficiaries.
He warned that beneficiaries and their cooperatives must fulfil their repayment obligations to remain eligible for subsequent support.
The foundation also provided direct financial assistance for widows captured in its database and distributed rice and six yards of printed wax fabric to women attending the event.
Abejide further announced plans for a separate empowerment programme targeting youths and men in business, particularly unemployed young people seeking support to establish income-generating ventures.
Abejide cites interventions in Kogi
The lawmaker said the foundation had operated empowerment programmes in Kogi State for more than eight years before extending its activities to Kano.
He claimed that it had supported more than 10,000 widows in Yagba Federal Constituency and paid examination fees enabling over 50,000 students to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
He also listed scholarship programmes and business support initiatives across Yagba East, Yagba West, Mopamuro, Kabba/Bunu and Ijumu, adding that plans were underway to extend the intervention to Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency.
The Oba of the Yoruba community in Kano, Otisese, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an unprecedented intervention for the community.
APC National Youth Leader Dayo Israel also addressed the gathering, while comedian Seyi Law served as master of ceremonies.
Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, entertained the audience and called for support for Tinubu and Yusuf.
The event combined economic assistance, community development and political mobilisation, with Abejide urging Yoruba and Kogi residents in Kano to play a more coordinated role in the 2027 elections.