The agitation for the rotation of the Kogi State governorship to the West senatorial district gathered fresh momentum as a coalition of political and socio-cultural groups, under the aegis of DEGROUP, demanded an immediate shift of power ahead of the 2027 election.
Addressing journalists in Lokoja at a press conference tagged “Kogi West O’Clock,” Wednesday , the leader of the group and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ibrahim Shaba (Esq.), said the demand was anchored on the principles of equity, fairness and inclusive governance.
Shaba maintained that Kogi West had been the most disadvantaged in the state’s power-sharing arrangement since its creation, insisting that the imbalance must be corrected.
“In the historical mathematics of power and rotation in Kogi State, we are the ones that have been most shortchanged,” he declared.
He noted that the coalition had engaged widely with stakeholders across the district, submitting memoranda and presentations to relevant bodies, including the Kogi State Power Rotation Summit, but lamented that none of their submissions was considered.
“It is pertinent to note that we made presentations and submitted memoranda across several divides in Kogi West interest groups, political pressure groups and community associations, but not a single one was adopted,” he said.
According to him, the development had reinforced the feeling among the people of the district that their voices were being deliberately suppressed.
“We feel our voices have been muscled, muffled and suppressed,” Shaba added.
The DEGROUP leader stressed that the agitation was not driven by mere political ambition but by the need to institutionalize a fair and balanced power-sharing structure capable of fostering unity and a sense of belonging among all sections of the state.
“Ordinarily, this issue should not even be a subject of debate. We are committed and resolute on the need for power rotation to Kogi West,” he said.
In his remarks, the group’s spokesman, Col. Mohammed Kabir Ndanusa (rtd.), condemned alleged acts of intimidation and harassment against members, including the reported seizure and burning of the group’s caps.
“If you preach peace and unity, is it by tearing down our banners and burning our caps that you promote peace? What we witnessed was a show of shame and thuggery,” he said.
