Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The member representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Elder Leke Abejide, has pledged N500 million for a youth empowerment programme aimed at helping young people across the constituency establish and expand small-scale businesses, while declaring his full support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo in the 2027 general elections.
Abejide made the commitment at his homecoming ceremony held at the Itodo Open Field in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, where he said the programme would cover youths across the 74 communities that make up the federal constituency. He explained that the initiative was designed to provide young people with the resources and opportunities needed to become self-reliant, create jobs and contribute to the economic development of their communities. Details of the disbursement process, eligibility criteria and timeline were not provided at the event. In a subsequent announcement, the lawmaker described the proposed scheme as a N500 million interest-free loan facility for youths across Yagba Federal Constituency, signalling that the funds would be structured as repayable loans rather than outright grants, a model that officials say is intended to ensure sustainability and reach more beneficiaries over time.
The homecoming ceremony attracted political leaders, All Progressives Congress stakeholders, traditional rulers, youths, women and other supporters from across the constituency. The Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Dr Folashade Arike Ayoade, who was present, welcomed Abejide to the homecoming and commended him for his sustained interventions in the constituency, particularly his support for widows and students. Ayoade described the lawmaker's interventions as evidence of his commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable members of the constituency while also supporting the educational aspirations of young people. The Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Area and Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Kogi State Chapter, Hon. Tosin Olokun, assured Abejide of the support of the people for President Tinubu and the lawmaker ahead of the 2027 elections. Olokun said the people had witnessed the impact of the APC-led administration and would continue to support leaders whose programmes and policies were geared towards development, economic growth and good governance. Hon. Emmanuel Obaro, who spoke with journalists at the event, urged youths in the constituency to unite and actively participate in the political process, describing the APC as the "winning team" ahead of the 2027 elections.
The pledge is consistent with Abejide's record of constituency interventions through the Leke Abejide Foundation, which he has used to reach vulnerable groups across Yagba land since 2014. The foundation has empowered widows in Yagba Federal Constituency, providing food items and print wax to thousands of beneficiaries over the years. It has also awarded scholarships to students, introduced free tuition education at ALU and Igbo-Ero secondary schools, and hired teachers to improve learning outcomes without fees. In May 2026, the foundation disbursed N10 million each to 71 communities across Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro local government areas in a grassroots development initiative aimed at supporting locally identified projects. The foundation has also unveiled plans for a N5 billion legacy project portfolio, reflecting an ambition to institutionalise community development beyond the current political cycle. Abejide was honoured in 2025 with a national award, recognition that his supporters cite as evidence of his contribution to legislative and constituency development.
Abejide's political journey adds context to his endorsement of Tinubu and Ododo. He was elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of the African Democratic Congress and served as the party's candidate in the 2023 elections. In May 2026, he defected to the APC, a move that drew criticism from some quarters but which he defended by describing himself as a party builder rather than a party spoiler. He said he had been loyal to the ADC since 2017 and had helped build it, and that his decision to join the APC was informed by a desire to align with the progressive movement at the national and state levels. In May 2026, APC leaders in Mopamuro Local Government Area unanimously adopted him as their consensus candidate for the 2027 House of Representatives election, a decision they said was driven by his track record in the development of Yagba Federal Constituency. His endorsement of Tinubu and Ododo is therefore consistent with his political realignment and his stated commitment to continuity at both the federal and state levels.
The political context of the endorsement is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. In Kogi State, Governor Ododo is expected to seek a second term, and the APC has been mobilising support across the state's three senatorial districts. In August 2026, APC stakeholders in Kogi East commenced mobilisation across the district's nine local government areas to secure victory for Tinubu and Ododo, and in September, former local government officials in the state endorsed both leaders and backed continuity. The Yagba Federal Constituency, located in Kogi West Senatorial District, is predominantly constituted by the Okun-speaking people, and its support will be critical to the APC's performance in the state's western flank.
For the people of Yagba Federal Constituency, the N500 million empowerment pledge represents both an immediate economic intervention and a political statement. The constituency, which comprises Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro local government areas, is predominantly agrarian, and its youths face the same challenges of unemployment, underemployment and limited access to capital that characterise much of rural Nigeria. The promise of interest-free loans for small-scale businesses offers a pathway to self-reliance for young people who might otherwise struggle to secure financing from conventional financial institutions. For Abejide, the pledge reinforces his positioning as a grassroots politician whose record of constituency development is central to his electoral appeal. For the APC, the endorsement adds another prominent voice to the party's northern mobilisation ahead of 2027, reinforcing its narrative of unity and continuity as the election approaches. The coming months will determine whether the empowerment programme is implemented as announced and whether it translates into the economic opportunities that the youths of Yagba Federal Constituency have long been promised.
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