Kogi West politics has always been an intriguing theater of shifting alliances, but the current undercurrents within Okunland are steering the region into an entirely different ball game—and arguably for all the wrong reasons.
In the high-stakes arena of Nigerian politics, it is an established reality that unbridled ambition can derail even the most focused actor. When personal aspiration mutates into an obsession, it often brings a toxic side effect: the willingness to slander, undermine, and stab long-term benefactors and mentors in the back.
For a long time, standard political gossip held that the primary goal of the second-term member representing the Yagba Federal Constituency was to secure an unprecedented third consecutive tenure in the House of Representatives. However, the events of the past few weeks have shattered that assumption. A far more calculated, long-term setup is coming to light—one that appears to have very little regard for the broader collective interests of the Okun people.
Despite a flurry of official rebuttals and passionate denials, it remains an open secret within Kogi’s political circles that Abejide played, and continues to play, a highly controversial role in the fallout of the Kogi West Senatorial primary saga.
To understand how we arrived here, one must trace the trajectory of the Igbagun-born businessman turned politician. The public watched his early struggles, including two unsuccessful attempts to capture the green chamber. It was only through a robust, meticulously engineered political structure—anchored by powerful local benefactors—that his eventual breakthrough in 2019 was made possible.
As his political profile grew, so did the curiosity surrounding his rapid ascendancy in Abuja. Observers frequently ask:
- How did a relative newcomer instantly clinch the Vice Chairmanship of the highly lucrative House Committee on Customs right after his inauguration?
- What subterranean alignments made it possible for him to effortlessly step into the Chairmanship of that exact same committee following the tragic demise of the previous chairman?
For a man who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was handed the party’s ticket just weeks later, turning around to act as an agent provocateur raises profound ethical questions. The driving force behind this friction appears to be a deeply embedded, perhaps premature, fixation on the 2031 Kogi State governorship.
“The barefaced lying capabilities of politicians are legendary, particularly those who consistently lay claim to piety and moral superiority in their public utterances.”
The political grapevine in Abuja and Lagos is currently buzzing with details of nocturnal, late-night meetings. These cross-regional consultations are not being held to strengthen local governance, but are a deliberate campaign to diminish and displace his political benefactors.
The ultimate irony is that this pitiable grovelling to “outsiders” may achieve the exact opposite of its intended goal. Rather than consolidating his position as a candidate for 2031, this restless maneuvering from pillar to post is actively eroding his credibility. It is reducing the probability of his success in what many insiders are already labeling a phantom, dead-on-arrival governorship bid.
No amount of political mischief or backroom deals can permanently substitute the authentic interests of the people with an unbridled lust for power. When Hon. Abejide finally chooses to openly declare the full scope of his desires, he may find that the electorate has already prepared an appropriate antidote for this sudden craze for power.
If there is one fundamental truth the lawmaker must realize, it is that the Okun people can be fiercely obstinate—especially when they feel their collective intelligence is being insulted. History is replete with instances where overambitious politicians underestimated the resolve of the West.
An encore of that historical resistance is very much on the horizon.
– Ponle Adeniyi
ponleadeniyi457@gmail.com
