The Kogi Unity Accord has widened its statewide campaign for equitable power rotation and inclusive governance, taking its advocacy to Ibaji Local Government Area, where it secured the support of the area’s paramount ruler ahead of a planned summit on the issue.
A delegation led by the group’s Convener, Omoluabi Bode Adeyemi, visited the palace of the Ibaji Local Government Traditional Council, headed by the Ejeh of Ibaji, HRH Ajofe Egwemi, JP. The visit forms part of ongoing consultations with traditional rulers, religious leaders and socio-cultural organisations ahead of the proposed Kogi Traditional/Religious Leaders and Socio-Cultural Organisations Summit on Power Rotation and Resource Allocation.
Adeyemi told the gathering that the outreach is designed to bring every segment of Kogi society into the conversation before the summit takes place. He said the group views questions of political power and resource distribution as matters best resolved through dialogue and consensus rather than confrontation, and stressed that the campaign is not aimed at any individual, ethnic group, senatorial district or political interest.
The Convener linked Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo’s bid for a second term to the broader rotation debate, arguing that continuity would allow ongoing policies and reforms to be consolidated while creating room for stakeholders to work out a fair succession arrangement. He urged stakeholders to weigh the long-term implications of their decisions on the state’s unity and stability, rather than focus solely on immediate political interests.
Responding, the Ejeh of Ibaji, HRH Ajofe Egwemi, welcomed the initiative and thanked the Kogi Unity Accord for bringing the discussion to Ibaji. He pledged to personally lead the local traditional institution and other stakeholders to the summit, describing traditional rulers as key to fostering peace and grassroots understanding on the issue.
The monarch also praised the Ododo administration’s approach to governance as inclusive, saying that giving different communities and interests a sense of representation remains essential to good government.
The Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area also addressed the delegation, reaffirming strong local backing for Governor Ododo and predicting the area would improve on its previous electoral performance in his favour. He committed the local government to mobilising residents for the summit and other related initiatives, citing the community’s recognition of the value of continuity in government.
The Kogi Unity Accord described the Ibaji visit as another milestone in a consultation drive it says must extend across all three of Kogi’s senatorial districts. Adeyemi said further engagements with traditional rulers, religious leaders and socio-cultural organisations would continue in the coming days, calling on stakeholders statewide to approach the eventual summit with an open mind.
The group said its overall goal remains to build a framework for power rotation and resource allocation that strengthens unity, fairness and peaceful political coexistence in Kogi State.
