By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
The road towards the election of the next Governor of kogi state,come November 11,2023, has began with the West Senatorial District of the state announcing the formation of KOGI WEST GOVERNORSHIP ADVOCACY GROUP.
The interim Chairman, Secretary and Spokesperson for the new group, Chief Aiyemowa Jeremiah, Alhaj Idris Koto and Comrade David Owa, disclosed this in their statement made available to Journalists in Lokoja.
According to them, the group is a mobilization, strategy and awareness creation platform, formed towards the realization of its project, after over thirty years of creation of the state.
They explained that the group came into being by some young Stakeholders across the seven LGAs of the Kogi west senatorial district,following their popular concern and demand for a Governor of Kogi West extraction in 2023,
The trio argued that the people of Kogi west, having over the last three decades been considerate neighbours, loving people and corporative senatorial zone, were of a strong opinion and demand that, the zone should be allowed to produce the next Governor of Kogi state.
Owa and his colleagues noted that Kogi west remained the only senatorial zone yet to be privileged to produce a democratically elected Governor since the creation of the state on August 27,1991,despite its human, natural and political contributions to the growth and development of the state.
This, they added the zone had done to the state” in the last 30 years of our coexistence and last 25 years of uninterrupted democratic experience in the state.”
The signatories argued that only fairness, justice and equity, especially in sensitive sectors that have tendencies to either unite or further divide us as a state with common fate. and destiny could move the state forward.
They maintained that the demand of the group was not a violent or confrontational one, but a gentle, friendly and conscience-driven political and moral engagement that would fasten the wheel of progress and engender trust in the state.
According to them, the objectives and demands of the group include: patriotic, fair, equitable and moral distribution of of human and material resources of the state across the three senatorial districts, especially in the governorship seat.
“The group will conduct a world press conference in the days ahead to tell their story to the public; to announce their demand and seek the support and cooporation of even friends of the state “to impress it on our neighbours and fellow kogites in the east and central senatorial district of the state, the need to see it from the angle of morality, fairness, sincerity and patriotism.
“It is time for Kogi people to work as one, live as one and collectively choose a leadership style that is anchored on fairness, equity and justice for the good of the state.
“The state may have been embroiled in ethnic animosity, religious politics, tribal consideration and all sorts of negative political machinations that have held the state down, created ethnic suspicion for three decades, but it’s time to rise above our challenges and differences and bequeath a united and prosperous state to the coming generation.
“This can only be achieved if the other zones allow a Kogi West person to emerge as Governor in the next governorship election.
” The state cannot experience meaningful development and peace, if all the three senatorial districts are not equally given opportunity to rule the state”,the interim chairman and others stressed.
They,, therefore, called on traditional rulers, religious leader, opinion moulders and all well meaning people of Kogi state to rise up to this challenge for the future of the state.
The officials said after their world press conference, the group would begin a tour of the 21LGAs of the state, to interface with all relevant stakeholders,to drive home the desire and demand of the new generation for collective prosperity of the state.
They also promised to visit political party leadership at the state level as well as the aspirants contesting from Kogi West.
The Reporters recalls that Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced November 11, 2023, for the conduct of governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.
The Commission, which disclosed this
recently in Abuja, said it had approved the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States’ Governorship elections.
Its National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye,in a statement, added that the decision was in fulfillment of the requirement of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which mandates the Commission to publish the Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the date fixed for the elections.
According to the Commission,
the tenure of the incumbent Governor of Imo State ends on 14th January 2024 while those of Kogi and Bayelsa States end on 26th January 2024 and 13th February 2024 respectively.
“Accordingly, the Commission has decided to conduct the three elections on Saturday 11th November 2023”, Okoye stated.
