Thirty-five years after the creation of Kogi State, the founding promise of bringing the Igala, Okun and Ebira peoples together under one state, with the expectation of shared development, fairness and equitable representation, deserves more than ceremonial celebration. It deserves an honest assessment of what has been achieved, what remains undone, and whether the principle of equity has truly guided governance across the state.
As Kogi marks 35 years, the Kogi Equity Alliance believes the anniversary should be an opportunity for reflection, accountability and a renewed conversation about fairness among the various peoples and communities that make up the state.
Across Kogi State, significant development challenges remain. Communities continue to contend with inadequate infrastructure, gaps in healthcare delivery, unreliable water supply, limited electricity access and other socioeconomic difficulties that affect the quality of life of ordinary citizens.
These challenges cannot be reduced to one senatorial district or one political constituency. Kogi West, Kogi East and Kogi Central all have communities that continue to demand greater attention, stronger infrastructure and more equitable access to government programmes and opportunities.
The question, therefore, is not simply who has occupied political office, but what those positions have produced for the people.
Over the years, sons and daughters of Kogi have occupied important positions within the state and at the national level, including the offices of Deputy Governor, Chief of Staff, members of the National Assembly and other influential political positions. Yet political representation, by itself, does not automatically translate into broad-based development.
The real measure of political leadership must ultimately be found in the lives of the people: the roads they use, the hospitals they access, the schools their children attend, the availability of water and electricity, the opportunities available to young people, and the economic environment in which families and businesses struggle to survive.
This is why the principle of equity remains important.
Equity should not be invoked only during political campaigns, anniversaries or moments when communities are seeking support. It should be reflected consistently in public policy, budgetary priorities, political appointments, infrastructure development and the distribution of government opportunities.
Thirty-five years is long enough to ask difficult but necessary questions.
Has equity truly governed Kogi State?
Has every part of the state received a fair opportunity to develop?
Have political appointments and representation translated into measurable benefits for the people?
And have successive administrations adequately addressed the longstanding development concerns of Kogi West, Kogi East and Kogi Central?
These are not questions intended to diminish the achievements of the state or any administration. They are questions that should form part of a mature conversation about the future of Kogi State.
The Kogi Equity Alliance believes that the next chapter of Kogi’s development must be built around fairness, accountability, inclusion and measurable results. No senatorial district, ethnic community or local government should have to compete for basic development as though equity were a favour rather than a principle of responsible governance.
As the state looks beyond its 35th anniversary, attention must now turn to the future. The political choices made in 2027 will provide another opportunity for the people of Kogi to reflect on representation, fairness and the distribution of political opportunity across the three senatorial districts.
For Kogi West, in particular, 2027 should be a time for a serious conversation about its place in the state’s political equation. The call is not for exclusion or domination, but for fairness, inclusion and the recognition that every part of Kogi deserves an opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the leadership of the state.
Let 2027 be the time for Kogi West.
Let equity become more than a slogan invoked during anniversaries and political campaigns. Let it become a measurable principle of governance, reflected in representation, development and opportunity for all.
Thirty-five years after the creation of Kogi State, the question remains simple but profound: has equity truly governed, or have Kogi West and others been left behind?
– Yusuf M.A.
For: Kogi Equity Alliance
