In recent weeks, certain political voices have attempted to rewrite history by claiming ownership of Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide’s electoral relevance in Yagba Federal Constituency. Among such claims is the assertion that the legislator owes his victories to specific individuals who portray themselves as indispensable power brokers. These claims are not only false but fundamentally misrepresent the political sociology of Yagba and the democratic process itself.
For clarity, Abejide’s political ascent did not emerge from the benevolence of any single benefactor. His electoral victories in 2019 and 2023 were not negotiated in private rooms nor handed down through patronage structures. They were produced by visible leadership, measurable performance, and a reputation for credible engagement that resonated deeply with the electorate.
It must also be understood that Yagba is one of the most politically sophisticated blocs in Kogi State and in Nigeria at large. The constituency is historically known for making independent electoral choices regardless of party dominance at the federal level. It has a long record of voting candidates from non-ruling political parties, proof that Yagba people evaluate candidates on merit, capacity, and credibility rather than partisan conformity. In such a terrain, no individual can deliver victory against the enlightened will of the voters.
It is equally important to state that Abejide’s victories are first a testament to God’s grace, an acknowledgment he himself consistently makes. Yet divine backing operated through human structures. His rise was reinforced by sound political strategies conceived by men of likeminds working closely with him, strategies rooted in data, grassroots mobilization, targeted interventions, and consistent governance touchpoints. Ultimately, it was the Yagba people, serving as the final democratic arbiters, who validated both God’s favour and strategic planning at the ballot box. Thus, his political success rests on three converging pillars: God’s will, strategic organization, and popular consent.
To claim that one individual or group of persons made Abejide politically is to misunderstand the organic nature of his mandate. If any single force can be credited, it is the Yagba electorate, the market women, youths, professionals, traditional institutions, religious blocs, and community actors who saw in him a new model of representation defined by service, financial transparency, and legislative productivity. It was their recognition of tangible improvement, education support, customs reforms, targeted empowerment, and infrastructural interventions that translated into votes.
Furthermore, history reflects that Abejide’s rise did not merely bring victory to himself, it brought visibility and relevance to many who now attempt to downplay his influence. His political structure has carried numerous actors into leadership spaces, reshaped electoral calculations in Kogi West, and inspired a new style of politics rooted in performance rather than entitlement. In simple terms, his victory elevated others, not the other way around.
It must also be stressed that the recurring attempt by a handful of actors to weaponize zoning narratives or distort political chronology serves no constructive purpose. The electorate in Yagba has never been passive, nor naïve, they reward competence, accessibility, and development impact, not sectional manipulation or inflated claims of sponsorship. The 2027 cycle, like the previous ones, will again test ideas, performance, and credibility, not ego and noise.
Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide stands today not because someone carried him, but because God favoured him, strategy guided him, and the Yagba people endorsed him. No self-anointed political custodian can revoke a mandate given by God through the ballot. That reality discomforts many, but it remains the fact.
If there is a message for those insisting on diminishing his achievements, it is this, leadership is neither inherited nor assigned by proclamation, it is earned in the field, validated by the people, and sustained by performance. Abejide has demonstrated all three.
Whether in 2019, 2023, or moving into 2027, one constant remains, the Yagba people alone decide their kingmakers, and they have chosen performance over propaganda, substance over sentiment, and development over dependency.
That, more than anything, is why Abejide stands today.
A king God made via Yagba people and no other hand can rewrite that story.
– J.O. Abel-Ontop writes from Lokoja.
