2027: Abejide Mobilises Yoruba, Ebira, Igala Communities, Targets 2m Votes for Tinubu in Kano

• Hon. Leke Abejide challenged non-indigenous communities in Kano to mobilise at least 2 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027
• Abejide's foundation unveiled hundreds of millions of naira in support for women from Yoruba, Ebira and Igala communities in Kano
• Former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello said the nearly 500,000 votes Tinubu received in Kano in 2023 were not satisfactory

Kano - A federal lawmaker has called on Yoruba, Ebira and Igala communities living in Kano to collectively deliver a minimum of two million votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Hon. Leke Abejide, who represents Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro Federal Constituency in Kogi State, made the appeal on Saturday, October 31, at the 2026/2027 Kano State Empowerment Programme organised by the Leke Abejide Foundation. Hundreds of millions of naira worth of financial and material support were presented to women, widows and other beneficiaries drawn from those communities.

Abejide Foundation Commits N500m in Interest-Free Loans

The lawmaker, who also holds the title of Asiwaju of the Yoruba people in Kano, said his connection to the state spans about 34 years of living and doing business there, which informed his decision to extend the foundation's work beyond his Kogi constituency.

He disclosed that N500 million had been set aside as interest-free loans for women organised into cooperative societies, covering widows and businesswomen who would otherwise turn to commercial lenders. Food items, clothing and direct cash support were also shared at the event.

"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," Abejide said.

He added that a monitoring system would track loan repayments and that those who defaulted would be excluded from future disbursements. Plans for a separate scheme targeting unemployed young men were also announced.

Yahaya Bello Describes 2023 Kano Votes as Insufficient

Former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello, who attended the event, said the approximately 500,000 votes Tinubu received in Kano during the 2023 presidential election fell short of what the non-indigenous population in the state could achieve.

"Your voting population in Kano delivered nearly 500,000 votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last presidential election. That performance was not satisfactory, and we must do better this time," Bello said.

He expressed confidence that Abejide could mobilise at least two million votes in 2027 and urged the effort to extend beyond the presidential race to senatorial, House of Representatives and state assembly contests.

Bello also made a case for Tinubu's re-election, arguing that it was premature to return power to the North before the current president completed his tenure. He cited progress on the Kano-Abuja Federal Highway as evidence of the administration's commitment to the region.

Kano state governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, speaking at the event, reassured non-indigenous residents of their place in the state, noting that his administration had already appointed special advisers to represent Yoruba, Igbo and northern minority communities. He indicated that Igala representation would also be considered.

"Kano is your home. You must take Kano as your first home. Our doors will always remain open," Yusuf said.

APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu's Victory in Adamawa

In another report, Ali Bukar Dalori, the deputy national chairman of the APC, declared that President Tinubu will defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Adamawa state and across the entire North-East geopolitical zone in the 2027 presidential election.

Dalori made the remarks on Wednesday, October 28, at the graduation ceremony of women trained under the Tinubu-Shettima Village-to-Village campaign in Abuja. He said his assessment was based on his experience as a grassroots politician and his reading of the current political landscape in the region.