The Kogi Equity Alliance wants the next governor to come from Kogi West. The reason is simple: fairness.
Since Kogi State was created in 1991, two of its three senatorial districts have held the governorship. Kogi East governed for 16 years. Kogi Central will have governed for 12 years by 2028. Kogi West has never produced a governor.
The numbers tell the story. Governor Yahaya Bello ruled from Kogi Central, and his successor, Usman Ododo, also comes from the same local government of Okene. Reports suggest that Bello is lobbying to extend his influence, aiming to keep Ododo in office for another eight years. In a viral video, he boasted: โMy eight years and Ododoโs eight years will make it 16 years of dominance, both from the same local government.โ Sixteen consecutive years of power for Kogi Central, while Kogi West continues to wait.
This is not just about counting years. It is about what happens when an entire region feels shut out. Infrastructure follows power. So do appointments, projects, and opportunities. When one zone controls the governorship, that zone prospers. The others watch.
Citizens of Kogi West see the pattern. Roads get built elsewhere. Hospitals open in other districts. Government jobs go to people from the governorโs zone. The disparities are visible. The resentment is growing.
History offers perspective. Kogi East had its turnโ16 years under Prince Abubakar Audu, Ibrahim Idris, and Idris Wada. Kogi Central has had it for nearly 12 years. The rotation should now continue to Kogi West. That is how you keep a state united.
Other states have figured this out. Rotation reduces tension. It gives everyone a stake. It works. States that ignore it pay a price. Political crises drag on. Voters lose faith. Trust erodes. Kogi can avoid this fate by doing the right thing.
Kogi West has capable leaders. The zone has produced distinguished public servants and professionals who have succeeded nationally and internationally. It contributes significantly to the stateโs economy through agriculture and commerce. The capacity for leadership exists. Only the opportunity is missing.
A spokesperson for the Alliance put it plainly: โWhen an entire senatorial district is perpetually shut out of governance, it sends a dangerous message. This is not sustainable in a democratic society.โ
The Alliance is not asking for a favor. It is asking for what other zones have already received: a chance to govern. That is not entitlement. That is fairness.
The call comes at the right time. APC supporters who felt aggrieved are finding common causes in demanding change. The ruling party cannot afford internal division before 2028. Smart politics and good principles point in the same direction: give Kogi West its turn.
The Alliance is asking political parties, especially the APC, to zone their tickets to Kogi West. It is asking party elders to think long-term. It is asking voters from Kogi West to register, mobilize, and support credible candidates.
The 2028 election could reset Kogi Stateโs politics. A governor from Kogi West would send a clear message: power belongs to all. That the system works for all three zones. That patience and fairness matter.
โThis is a defining moment,โ the Alliance said. โWe can build a state characterized by fairness and shared prosperity, or one marked by exclusion and perpetual grievance.โ
The choice is clear. Kogi West has waited 34 years. Its turn has come.
The Alliance will continue making this caseโin town halls, in the media, and in conversations with stakeholders across all districts. The goal is consensus. The principle is equity. The time is now.
โ Yusuf, M.A., PhD
For: Kogi Equity Alliance
