Across Kogi East, political calculations ahead of 2027 are becoming harder to ignore. Meetings are taking place behind closed doors. Former rivals are rebuilding alliances. Politicians who once distanced themselves from former governor Yahaya Bello now speak with caution, if not outright loyalty. The question shaping conversations across the Igala-speaking region is no longer whether Bello still holds influence. It is whether Kogi East politicians believe their future depends on remaining close to him.
Their calculation is understandable. In Nigerian politics, power rarely disappears after office. It survives through networks, patronage and control of party structures. Bello may no longer occupy the Government House, but his political reach continues to shape conversations inside the ruling establishment. For many ambitious politicians in Kogi East, opposing that structure may appear politically dangerous. Aligning with it, however uncomfortable, has become a strategy for survival.
But survival politics carries consequences. Kogi East faces deeper problems than elite negotiations. Across Dekina, Idah, Ankpa and Ibaji, residents continue to confront unemployment, insecurity, weak infrastructure and economic hardship. Many young voters are increasingly frustrated by a political culture that rewards proximity to power more than competence or ideas. What citizens want discussed before 2027 is not loyalty to political godfathers, but solutions to collapsing public services and shrinking economic opportunities.
That is why the growing silence among many political actors feels significant. Few politicians are openly challenging the existing power structure. Fewer still are offering a competing vision for the future of the region. Instead, much of the political atmosphere revolves around endorsements, strategic alignments and calculations about who controls influence behind the scenes. It reflects a broader problem in Nigerian politics, where personalities often overshadow policy.
Still, political influence is never permanent. Nigerian voters have repeatedly shown a willingness to disrupt carefully managed alliances when frustration becomes widespread enough. The real danger for Kogi East politicians is assuming that loyalty alone can secure public trust. Voters may respect power, but they also remember hardship. If 2027 becomes another contest shaped only by elite bargaining, public cynicism toward the political class will deepen.
Ultimately, the issue is not whether politicians associate with Yahaya Bello. Alliances are part of every democracy. The issue is whether Kogi East can produce a politics grounded in accountability, development and public purpose rather than fear of political exclusion. Until that happens, many residents will continue to ask whether their leaders are building a future for the region — or merely gambling on the survival of power.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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