Kogi’s First Deputy Governor, Chief Samuel Akande Mourns Former Governor Ibrahim Idris, Says His Death Is ‘a Personal Loss’
The first Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Chief Samuel Ola Akande, has mourned the death of former Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, describing the passing of the man popularly called “Ibro” as “a personal loss” and recalling a friendship of more than two decades in which the late politician addressed him only as “Uncle.”
In a press statement, Akande said he received the news of Idris’s death “with deep sadness.”
Idris reportedly died on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in the United Kingdom at the age of 77, after a protracted illness, according to family sources. His nephew, Shehu Ahmed, confirmed the death to AIT Live.
Akande, who served as Deputy Governor from 1991 to 1993, said the two men shared a bond “nurtured by mutual respect and common interests.”
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“Throughout that time, he never called me by my name. It was always ‘Uncle,'” the elder statesman said.
Recalling the early days of the Idris administration, Akande said the former governor moved swiftly after assuming office in 2003 to calm tensions in the state and set a template for overcoming the mutual ethnic suspicion that was then raging in Kogi.
According to him, Idris ensured that an unwritten State Character principle was observed in all appointments.
“As Governor, Alhaji Idris carried all segments of the state along and gave everyone, irrespective of status, a sense of belonging,” Akande said.
He listed students, civil servants, traditional rulers, party men and women, and artisans among those who benefited from the late governor’s style of leadership.
Bursaries for students, prompt payment of salaries, leave bonuses and other entitlements, youth and women empowerment, and patronage of local contractors were, in Akande’s words, the hallmarks of his tenure.
Akande also highlighted a string of projects executed by the Idris administration, including the popular “Ibro Water” for Lokoja residents, the International Market, the Lokoja stadium, housing projects in all 21 Local Government Areas, the upgrade of the state judiciary, legislative freedom, local government autonomy and road projects.
He said the administration would be remembered for its work in infrastructure, education, healthcare and civil service reform, and for promoting inclusion and peaceful coexistence among Kogi’s many communities.
“In a state as diverse as ours, that commitment mattered as much as any road or building,” he added.
Beyond politics, Akande said he was privileged to know the late governor as “a successful businessman, a philanthropist, a cheerful friend and a compassionate man.”
Akande extended his condolences to the late governor’s immediate family, and to the government and people of Kogi State.
“May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace,” he prayed.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper September 23, 2026
