Kogi’s Political Horizon and the Reawakening of Developmental Politics: The Faleke Option
By Stanley Ajileye
Emerging political signals across Kogi State point unmistakably to a coming shift—one that may finally usher in the era of developmental politics. For too long, Kogi’s political narrative has been shaped by self-serving interests, transient loyalties, and a stunted vision for the common good. Now, history appears ready to correct itself, and destiny once again beckons Hon. James Abiodun Faleke to the stage he once earned by merit and sacrifice.
Recent developments within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reveal growing discontent with the lingering shadows of maladministration and political manipulation. The failed bid by former Governor Yahaya Bello to bind his protégé, Governor Usman Ododo’s second-term ambition, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political fortune has further exposed the deep fractures within Kogi’s ruling structure. This development underscores the waning influence of Bello’s era and the redundancy of his political machinery.
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But amidst the political fatigue and growing disenchantment, a glimmer of hope rises — the Faleke Option. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, though representing Lagos State in the House of Representatives, remains, without dispute, the most influential politician from Kogi State today. His record of empowerment, infrastructural interventions, and community development across Kogi West — and indeed, beyond — surpasses that of any governor since the state’s creation in 1991.
Faleke’s loyalty, discipline, and administrative acumen, honed through years of service under the progressive school of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have marked him as a different breed — a politician with both compassion and capacity. Many of us who worked tirelessly for the Audu-Faleke ticket nearly a decade ago still carry the scars of that political injustice — a daylight robbery that denied Kogi her rightful leadership. We vehemently opposed that injustice, and some of us declined invitations to work with Bello from the beginning of his administration.
Yet, time, as always, has a way of vindicating the steadfast. The forces that contrived that injustice are today imploding under the weight of their failures. The coast is clearing, and the call to restore what was unjustly denied is becoming a popular chorus across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Hon. James Abiodun Faleke must now reconsider his political detachment from the affairs of Kogi. History is summoning him once again — not as an act of ambition, but as a response to duty. The people of Kogi, weary of stagnation and the politics of personality cults, now yearn for leadership rooted in developmental purpose. Faleke embodies that hope — a tested hand, a trusted mind, and a compassionate heart.
It is imperative for Faleke to answer this call and lead a new political awakening that will propel Kogi towards progress and prosperity. He carries the moral capital, political structure, and cross-regional goodwill to unite the state like no other figure in recent memory. This is not a partisan call; it is a moral and developmental imperative.
All well-meaning citizens — across party lines, ethnic divides, and religious inclinations — must come together to actualize this vision. Kogi deserves a new story; one that is not defined by recycled mediocrity but by measurable progress. The movement to enthrone developmental politics in Kogi should transcend partisan interests; it should become a people’s project. Regardless of party affiliation, we must prioritize the interest of our dear state.
The wind of change is gathering strength. The hour of restoration is near. James Abiodun Faleke, it is time to come home and lead your people into the dawn of a new Kogi — a state redefined by purpose, prosperity, and progress.
