I would have personally taken the lead in criticizing him if there was a lacuna at the home front. But in this case, that argument does not exist. Hon. Leke Abejide is a man that is doing so much at home, and the records are there for all to see.
Let us cast our minds back. Recently, he donated 10 Million Naira each to 71 communities across Yagba Federal Constituency for community projects that have direct bearing on the people. That is over N700 million injected directly into grassroots development. This is the first of its kind in history that a member of the House of Representatives will do such in Kogi State and indeed Nigeria as a whole. No lawmaker before him has thought it wise to trust communities with such funds for them to decide what they need most – be it school renovation, water, market stalls, or health support.
Before the State Government took over the payment of WAEC/NECO fees, Hon. Leke Abejide started the initiative years ago through the Leke Abejide Foundation. He paid for thousands of students in Yagba. Yet he did not relent when government took over. Today, he has taken it upon himself to extend the same gesture to private schools, not just in Yagba or Kogi West alone, but across Kogi State. That is a man who understands that education is the only true equalizer.
In terms of infrastructure, human capital development, youth and women empowerment, skills acquisition, job opportunities and many more, he has been living up to expectations. Roads like Kabba-Ilorin, Igbagun-Alu-Ife-Olukotun and several internal rural roads have seen his intervention. Widows have been empowered consistently, students have been supported with scholarships, and youths have been equipped to become self-reliant.
So why then should a man who has done this much at home be crucified for extending a hand of fellowship outside?
Hon. Leke Abejide has a handful of businesses in Kano and he lived there for several years. He cultivated good relations, built trust, and earned the revered title of “Asiwaju of Yorubas in Kano.” He belongs to two states – Kogi and Kano. For a man with a good heart like Leke, extending hands of fellowship to people irrespective of tribe, location or religion is not politics, it is a lifestyle. That is who he has always been.
More so, the 2027 election is here and his desire is to see and ensure the successful re-election of Nigeria’s President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. The coming election is not regional, it is nationwide. The upcoming event in Kano, where he plans to empower one million Yorubas across the 44 Local Government Areas, will also be a platform to canvas support for the re-election of his boss, President Tinubu in 2027, because they share a father/son relationship. To empower people while mobilizing for your principal is both strategic and humane.
It is not the first time that things like this will occur in Nigeria. History teaches us that the late Dr. Olusola Saraki campaigned massively for Shehu Shagari across the whole Western region. Politics has always been about bridges, not walls. So there is nothing strange that warrants criticizing Hon. Leke.
For a man to go out of his way to empower others shows the degree of his love for humanity and his commitment to seeing others succeed. Poverty cannot be alleviated if the people are not empowered. With this move, he is contributing his quota to ensuring self-sufficiency, whether in Okun, Yagba, or in Sabon Gari, Kano.
Hon. Leke Abejide’s generosity does not connote that he has too much – NO! He is giving because he has a good heart towards the people. In an era where many take from the people, he is giving back to the people.
A man who is committing his personal resources to empowering others deserves praises and prayers, not unnecessary criticism, especially from those who are making no contribution to the progress of the society.
To the beneficiaries of the upcoming empowerment in Kano State, I say congratulations to you all in advance.
SIGNED:
CHIEF RICHARD ASAJE,
Founder/Nat’l Coordinator,
Like Minds Alliance Pressure Group
24th Oct. 2026
