By Musa Bakare
The time has come to speak louder with courage, stand with conviction and demand political justice. No intimidation, no blackmail and no manufactured political threats can silence the legitimate aspirations of the people of Kogi West.
There are times when silence becomes complicity, timidity becomes a liability, and the courage to speak the truth becomes an obligation.
For the people of Kogi State, particularly the people of Kogi West Senatorial District, that moment is now!
Let it be stated without equivocation, ambiguity or apology: We will not succumb to a state of intimidation and cowardly silence.
We will not surrender our voices to political intimidation. We will not mortgage our convictions to the convenience of political enemies of our fatherland. We will not abandon our legitimate aspirations because some individuals have mistaken political dominance for an everlasting entitlement to power.
Kogi State belongs to all its constituent communities. Its political destiny must not continue to be treated as the exclusive inheritance of any geographical zone, ethnic nationality, political dynasty or privileged establishment.
Let the facts be laid bare: the argument for Kogi West to produce the next governor in January 2028 is neither an act of political rebellion nor an attempt to undermine the interests of other senatorial districts. It is a legitimate demand for equity, fairness, inclusion, justice and a more balanced distribution of political and economic opportunities.
For too long, the conversation about governorship in Kogi State has been dominated by the arithmetic of political control, ethnic calculations and the strategic interests of powerful political actors.
Democracy must be bigger than political calculations. It must accommodate fairness, mutual respect and the aspirations of every constituent part of the state.
The question is simple: If Kogi State belongs to all of us, why should the governorship aspiration of one senatorial district become a subject of intimidation, hostility or political persecution?
Why should advocating for Kogi West be interpreted as an offence against anybody ?
Why should the legitimate desire of the Kogi West people to occupy Lugard House become a source of discomfort to those who believe political power should remain within their preferred geographical arrangement?
Equity is not an act of aggression. Fairness is not a declaration of war. Political aspiration is not a crime!
Let nobody misconstrue our position. We are not advocating the exclusion of any ethnic group. We are not demanding that the political rights of Kogi East or Kogi Central be diminished. We are demanding that Kogi West should also have its legitimate opportunity to lead the state.
Attempts are clandestinely and shamelessly being made to ostracize, intimidate and punish citizens of Kogi West Senatorial District who advocate that after over thirty years of statehood, the district should produce a governor.
A political arrangement that continuously asks one section of a state to wait indefinitely cannot be celebrated as an enduring model of fairness.
We must understand that political stability is strengthened by inclusion, not intimidation; by dialogue, not threats; and by mutual accommodation, not the suppression of legitimate aspirations.
To those who believe that political intimidation can silence the growing agitation for a Kogi West governorship in 2028, our message is unmistakable: We will not succumb to fear, we will continue to speak, we are not ashamed of our aspirations, and we are not prepared to surrender our conviction.
We shall continue to make our arguments with facts, history, constitutional principles and democratic reasoning. We shall continue to engage, persuade, mobilise and build bridges across the three senatorial districts.
We recognise that the governorship of Kogi State is not won by social media declarations, political propaganda or emotional sentiments. It is earned through credible leadership, political organisation, broad-based acceptance, strategic alliances and the democratic mandate of the electorate.
That is precisely why we are approaching the project with maturity, discipline, unity and an unmistakable commitment to the collective interest of the entire people of Kogi State.
The people of Kogi West must also understand that this is not the responsibility of politicians alone. It is a generational conversation that requires the participation of traditional institutions, political stakeholders, professionals, youths, women, community leaders and all those who believe in a fairer political future for Kogi State.
Our message to our brothers and sisters in Kogi East and Kogi Central is that, we seek partnership, not confrontation; understanding, not hostility; and a united Kogi State, not a divided political environment.
Let nobody mistake our commitment to peace for political weakness. Our preference for dialogue must never be interpreted as an inability to defend our legitimate democratic interests.
We can disagree without becoming enemies. We can demand equity without promoting division. We can insist on justice without disrespecting the political contributions of others.
The time has come to build a Kogi State where every senatorial district can aspire to the highest political office without fear, prejudice or unnecessary hostility.
Our position remains firm: Kogi West deserves its opportunity, and we shall pursue that aspiration through every legitimate democratic channel available to us.
No retreat from constructive engagement. No surrender of legitimate aspirations. No apology for demanding justice.
Kogi 2028: Let Equity Speak, Let Justice Prevail, Let Kogi West Have Its Opportunity!
– Hon. Musa Asiru Bakare, a Political Analyst and Commentator, writes from Lokoja, Kogi State.
