KOGI STATE GOVERNORSHIP;
OKUN AND THE FAILURE TO LEARN FROM HISTORY – High Chief Olowo Cornelius.
20/07/2026.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” (George Santayana).
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” (Winston Churchill).
- Advertisement -
The current quest in Kogi State by individuals particularly from Okun extraction that Governor Ododo should be allowed to complete his second term before Okun aspires for Lugard House brings to remembrance the validity of the two quotes above.
While those among them who became accidental politicians and leaders between 2016 and now could be excused due to inexperience, reference to those who came through the least expected emergence of Governor Yahaya Bello in February 2016 due to the unfortunate death of Late Prince Abubakar Audu who was the rightful owner of the mandate, those who have been around during the 2005 to 2007 Power-Shift and Power-Stay agitations can not claim to be ignorant, except they just wish to behave wickedly to Okun nation under the influence of the patronages of Cars, contracts, appointments and cash.
In 2005, Prince Olusola Akanmode, Late Sen A. T. Ahmed and a host of some Kogi West and Kogi Central leaders led the movement for Power Shift in Kogi State, meaning that the Governor in 2007 should be from either West or Central, as Kogi East had already gotten the opportunity three times, twice with Late Prince Abubakar Audu (1991) and (1999), and once with HE Gov Ibrahim Idris in 2003.
The Movement was codenamed “Power Shift”.
As soon as the movement began to gain ground and widespread acceptance, those from Kogi West and Central who were in the Government of Alh Ibrahim Idris were “activated” just as we are witnessing now, to go and begin a counter movement which they codenamed “Power Stay”, with the message that Governor Ibrahim Idris (Ibro) should be allowed to complete his second term, that he has promised to handover to an Okun person at the end of his second term, just as our people are also being promised today.
The major Okun leaders in the government of Gov Ibro, as popularly called, Hon Chief Abiodun Ojo, Hon Chief Clarence Olafemi, Hon T. J. Faniyi and others believed were promised “individually” and “separately” that one of them will be Governor in 2011 when Governor Ibro was expected to complete his second term.
Those Okun leaders believed the establishment then to be committed to the promise of transferring Governor to Okun land, and they worked decisively against the Power-Shift agitation, Okun land became more like a battlefield in the 2007 elections as the Power-Shift agitation eventually produced a candidate in Sen Mohammed Salami Ohiare under the platform of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Lives were lost, injuries were sustained, several were arrested, the scars remain indelible in the lives of some Okun people and families, just to ensure Governor Ibro secured a second term, and with the hope that one of them will be the beneficiary of the struggle in 2011.
Reports indicated that, Governor Ibro will even occasionally stand up from his official seat in the Governor’s office and ask one of them to seat on it briefly so as to be convincingly assured that he is committed to his promise, the greatest heights of deception. Our people fell for the deceit, but ask any of them today, none of them was neither Deputy talk more of being Governor, I am sure that collectively and individually, they all regretted their actions.
When it was time for Governor Ibro to honour his promise, he cried some crocodile cries and did a hypocritical begging that “his people” said they will kill him if he hands over power to another tribe. Twice he had opportunities to produce an Okun governorship Candidate, twice he failed to keep his promise, he supported Alh Isah Echocho in the first Primaries, that was later nullified, he again supported Capt. Idris Wada in the second governorship Primaries, both from Igala land, after they have had four consecutive opportunities to be governor of Kogi State. The rest as they say, is history.
GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO AND HIS POWER SHIFT PROMISE OF 2023.
Following the accidental emergence of Governor Yahaya Bello as Governor of Kogi State in 2016 February, an occurrence viewed as the greatest setback in the quest and chances of an Okun man to occupy Lugard House, the highest victim being Right Hon. James Abiodun Faleke who was naturally expected to have inherited the mandate jointly secured by the Late Prince Abubakar Audu and himself from one of the most fiercely fought governorship elections in Kogi State where an incumbent was defeated fair and squared.
GYB, as fondly called, also adopted the same Power Shift promise to secure a second term mandate in 2019/2020. Again, our people fell for it with the thought that his people having shared in the experience of the deprivation suffered by Okun and Kogi West during the reign of Governors from Igala extraction, that he will be more reasonable and trustworthy to honour his words, unfortunately the promise was never meant to be kept.
As soon as GYB got his second term, he orchestrated divisions amongst the Okun people in his government, ensuring a divide and rule system which tended to encourage his then Deputy Governor, HE David Onoja, who we learnt was also promised “separately” to succeed GYB.
Both Kogi West leaders and HE David Onoja continued to wallow in their ignorance while GYB was already preparing another Ebira man to succeed him, the reality is what we have in Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo today. Hon Asiwaju Ashiru, Sen Smart Adeyemi, HE David Onoja and everyone who picked Governorship Nomination Forms were “pressured”, not “persuaded”, to step down for Ododo and lick their collective and individual wounds.
Again, the rest they say is history.
THE ROAD TO LUGARD HOUSE 2027
My dear Okun people, the error of 2007 and 2019 is about to repeat itself, and there always will be insiders who, out of ignorance or greed for immediately benefit, with always surrender themselves as willing tools in frustrating our genuine agitation to occupy the seat of Governor in Kogi State.
“Power is not served a la carte” is a famous political quote popularized by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It means that political power is not handed out freely on a menu; rather, you have to actively strategize, struggle, and fight to attain it.
In 2015, the leadership and government of Late President Muhammadu Buhari denied Right Hon. James Abiodun Faleke the right to inherit the mandate jointly secured by himself and the then Governorship Candidate of APC, Late Alh Abubakar Audu, the denial was not because of Faleke, NO, it was because Faleke was, and is still a product of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political establishment. He was one of the casualties towards ensuring that Tinubu never became President, the emergence of Hon Abiodun Faleke as governor of Kogi State in 2015 was seen as a a major inroad for Tinubu into the North Central in particular and the North generally, that was the card sold to the Presidency under Late President Muhammadu Buhari by the spoilers from Kogi State and within us in Okun.
Again I ask, who amongst the collaborators in Okun land who played prominent roles in the ignoble agenda against Hon Abiodun Faleke in 2015 is of any relevance today at the national level, NONE.
As they say, Karma is a silent gangster, It never makes announcements, rushes, or argues. It just sits back, watches, and keeps receipts.
Those who Governors Ibro used in 2007 have been paid, those who Governor Yahaya Bello used in 2015/16 have been paid, the receipts for those who are presently being used by Governor Usman Ododo will be kept by Karma, and they will surely be paid accordingly at the appropriate time.
Take this from me today and keep it, if Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo secures a second term in 2027, God forbid, by 2031 when one of the present agents of division who are being promised to succeed Ododo will expect the promise to be fulfilled, the same fate that befell those in 2007 and 2015 is waiting to befall them as power will actually shift to Kogi West, BUT it will be to another Ebira man from Koton-Karfe who is already being prepared. Argue this with the future.
FACT
1. Right Hon. James Abiodun Faleke does not need the Governorship of Kogi State to be relevant, he is already relevant in the present day government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
2. Right Hon. Abiodun Faleke does not need votes and resources of Kogi State to win his elections in Lagos State, he has won six (6) elections in Lagos State in the past, two as Chairman of Ojodu LCDA, and four as MHR for Ikeja Federal Constituency, as God liveth, he is winning his seventh election come January 2027.
3. Right Hon. James Abiodun Faleke does not need to be Governor of Kogi State to bring monumental projects to Kogi State, he has been doing it, the truth of the matter is, his projects in Kogi State are more visible, more widespread and more impactful than that of the Kogi State government itself.
4. Right Hon. James Abiodun Faleke does not need Kogi State to thrive, Kogi State needs Right Hon. Abiodun Faleke to come out of the political and developmental quagmire that the recent terrible state governments have dragged us into.
REDEMPTION IN SIGHT
Come 2027, Kogi State has a date with destiny. It doesn’t matter how many spoilers are being recruited, after all, Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem regardless of the negative activities of Sanballat and Tobiah, who says we can not do it.
Again, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu carries the moral burden to right the wrong done to Right Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and Kogi State in 2015 because of him. Okun is a highly deprived nation in Kogi State, we have been oppressed, suppressed and almost conquered, in all our journeys through old Kwara and present day Kogi States, all our efforts to be governor have been futile, the current tenure of Governor Ododo Ahmed Usman is the fourth term for Ebira when the four years of Late Adamu Attah in Kwara State is added.
THE TIME FOR OKUN TO BE GOVERNOR IN KOGI STATE IS 2027, NOT LATER.
KOGI WEST AND CENTRAL HAVE NO MARRIAGE, WHERE SUCH IDEA EXIST IN ANYONE’S MIND, AN UNPRODUCTIVE MARRIAGE OF OVER 30 YEAR IS OVERDUE FOR A DIVORCE.
By High Chief Olowo Cornelius,
Political Analyst and a Senior Legislative Aide,
Writes from National Assembly,
Abuja.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JULY 20TH 2026)
