2031: Kogi west must back Ododo’s second term – Stakeholders

Stakeholders in Kogi local government area Monday urged political leaders in Kogi state to prioritise continuity and political stability by supporting Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s re-election in 2027.

They insisted that Kogi West Senatorial District should wait until 2031 to produce the next governor.

The stakeholders also declared support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while calling on residents of the state to rally behind both leaders for a second term.

The position was contained in a statement presented by Alhaji Ado Shuaibu at a press conference attended by elders, political leaders, youths and women from the 11 wards of Kogi local government area, popularly known as Koton-Karfe.

The group said its position was informed by the need to uphold equity, fairness and a rotational power-sharing arrangement among the three senatorial districts as a means of sustaining peace, unity and political stability in the state.

The stakeholders said Kogi east had governed the state for more than 18 years, while Kogi central held power between 2016 and 2023 and was currently in another phase of leadership.

They argued that in the interest of fairness, Kogi west should be allowed to produce the governor in 2031, after Kogi central completes the proposed 16-year cycle.

The group, however, maintained that the constitutional provision permitting a governor to serve two four-year terms should be respected, warning that cutting short an administration in the name of power rotation could undermine the principle of fairness.

On the administration of President Tinubu, the stakeholders commended the federal government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates, describing them as measures aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy.

They also highlighted major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, as well as government initiatives in electricity generation, student financing, skills acquisition, healthcare delivery among others.