A member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has challenged Yoruba and other non-indigenous communities in Kano State to mobilise at least two million votes for President Bola Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Mr Abejide made the call on Saturday at the 2026/2027 Kano State Empowerment Programme organised by the Leke Abejide Foundation, where hundreds of millions of naira in financial and material assistance were unveiled for women, widows and other beneficiaries from Yoruba, Ebira and Igala communities.
The lawmaker, who represents Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, said the beneficiaries were drawn from Yoruba communities originating from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states, as well as Ebira and Igala communities.
Mr Abejide, who is also the Asiwaju of Yoruba people in Kano, said he extended the empowerment programme to the state because of his longstanding relationship with its residents, having lived and conducted business there for about 34 years.
He said the initiative was aimed at creating sustainable economic opportunities and lifting beneficiaries out of poverty through business support rather than temporary financial handouts.
The lawmaker disclosed that the foundation had earmarked N500 million for interest-free loans to women organised into cooperative societies, including widows and other businesswomen, to strengthen their businesses and improve their economic independence.
He also announced the distribution of food items, clothing and cash assistance to widows, promising that the programme would continue beyond the 2027 general elections.
“The era of our women going to borrow from financial institutions with interest they cannot pay is over for good. As long as you are a serious businesswoman resident here in Kano, your season of dryness is over by the grace of God,” he said.
Mr Abejide said the foundation had established a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the loans were properly utilised and repaid.
He warned that beneficiaries who failed to meet their repayment obligations would not qualify for subsequent rounds of the scheme.