Okun People, Wake Up! 2027 is the Year We Choose Our Own Leaders.
As the drums of the 2027 election cycle begin to beat, a familiar and unsettling shadow looms over Kogi West Senatorial District.
For the people of Okunland, the upcoming contest is more than a race for a seat in the Red Chamber; it is a battle for the soul of their political identity.
After decades of struggling for inclusion, the district stands at a crossroads: will it choose self-determination, or will it once again allow its destiny to be written by “alien powers”?
Since 2019, it has been a disturbing trend in Kogi West; the choice of who represents the district has increasingly been decided not in the town halls of Kabba, Mopa, or Egbe, but in the corridors of power far removed from the interests of the Okun people.
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Curiously, the very “power mongers” who seek to dictate the representative for Kogi West have often struggled to maintain order or even decide the senatorial fates of their own districts.
Yet, they find the audacity to foist candidates on the West, treating the district as a pawn on a political chessboard.
Perhaps the most shocking element of this recurring drama is the willingness of some indigenous political actors to be used as instruments of their own people’s marginalization.
From 1999 until the current dispensation, the Yagba people—a vital bloc within Okunland—were largely denied the senatorial seat.
With the incumbent finally breaking that jinx and performing creditably well, one would expect a collective effort to protect an arrangement that favors equity.
Instead, we see the rise of “Mr. B”—the next anointed puppet—being lured by the same cabal that once used, discarded, and promised “Mr. A again.” It is a cycle of broken promises that relies entirely on the political naivety of the elite.
The current political landscape is marred by what many describe as “nauseating sycophancy.” The desperate need to show loyalty to external masters has reached a pathetic low, with local leaders reportedly shouting “No Vacancy” in Lugard House until 2032 as a badge of honor.
Must the collective wishes of the Okun people be sacrificed on the altar of a few individuals’ inordinate ambitions? This fawning and grovelling may secure a temporary seat at the table for a few, but it spells long-term “political doom” for the region’s relevance.
The political consciousness of 2027 will not be that of 2019 or 2023. The era of foisting candidates through sheer executive fiat is facing a sunset. For any Okun politician desiring relevance beyond the next four years, the mandate is clear: Align with the aspirations of your people or face the consequences.
Okunland is a territory of the learned—filled with astute, capable, and intelligent minds. The time has come for these leaders to stop being “unfazed” by the dire situation of their constituents. The district needs a Senator who answers to the people of Kogi West, not one who acts as a remote-controlled envoy for external interests.
As the “knocking” of the election grows louder, the message to every Okun person is simple: Your dignity is not for sale, and your district is not a laboratory for external political experiments. The time to stand firm is now.
Otunba Mayowa Aiyedehin
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JANUARY 19TH 2026)
