The Okun Development Association (ODA), the umbrella body for the Okun and Oworo people, has raised the alarm over the continued marginalization of Kogi’s Yoruba-speaking communities ahead of the 2027 elections.
At a stakeholders’ summit in Abuja on Thursday covered by Persecondews, Ambassador Akenson Rotimi, ODA’s President-General, criticized successive administrations for intensifying a “pattern of exclusion” that has become intolerable to the Okun and Oworo people.
“Successive civilian governments in the state have compounded the trend of marginalization to a level that has become intolerable to the generality of our people,” he said.
Rotimi described Kogi State as resting on three vital pillars—the East, Central and West senatorial districts—comparable to the three engines of a wide-bodied aircraft that must all function for the plane to fly safely.
He noted that any society flourishes only when it embraces the enduring values of equity, justice and fairness, likening the current imbalance to a man who has three wives yet caters solely for one and her children, a move that would deliberately sow discord in his household.
“The essence of this summit is for shared goal and the advancement of the best sociopolitical deal for the Okun people,” Rotimi added.
“The summit seeks to build a collaborative framework to build a stronger Okun Nation for the political emancipation of our people. Today we will have a turning point for our people.”
Prince Olushola Akanmode, former Deputy Chief of Staff to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, reminded the gathering that since Kogi was carved out in 1991, hopefuls from the West senatorial district have repeatedly featured in newspaper headlines with their bids for the governorship, yet none has ever succeeded.
He noted that population disadvantage has placed the West third behind the more populous East and Central zones, allowing the Igala majority in the East to produce every governor until the 2015 surprise, when the Ebira of the Central zone clinched the position instead.
“Its time we take part in the forming of solid base for good governance at all levels beyond 2027, our political journey as a people has taken us to different political party, but it is time we create an institution that can stand the test of time.
“Power is not served a la carte, you must be prepared, you must be strategic for the obstacles ahead and this summit is the right forum to create a pathway,” Akanmode asserted.
Persecondnews reports that the summit, is designed to forge a united front and a lasting institutional framework that will position the Okun nation strategically for genuine political inclusion and good governance across all tiers beyond 2027.
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