Dear Engineer Abubakar Bashir Gegu,
Your recent statement titled “Attempts to Divide Kogi West Along Tribal Lines” deserves a calm, factual, and clarifying response—not to escalate tension, but to correct misrepresentations and reaffirm the true spirit of unity in Kogi West.
To begin with, expressing concerns about equity, representation, or political balance within our senatorial district does not equate to promoting tribal division. Democracies thrive on robust debate, honest reflection, and the courage to address sensitive issues without fear of being wrongly labeled.
Senator Sunday Steve Karimi, whom you referenced, has always championed a united Kogi West—one built on fairness, inclusiveness, and shared destiny. His political engagements have never suggested a preference for one tribe over another. It is therefore misleading to insinuate that he views Kogi West through an Okun-only lens.
Your emphasis on the contribution of Lokoja/Koto to electoral victories is acknowledged, but political legitimacy in a democratic system is not transactional. Every part of Kogi West—Okun, Lokoja, Koto—has, at different times, provided the needed support to elect leaders. No single bloc can claim sole ownership of victory, just as no bloc should be made to feel exploited or undervalued.
Democracy is about choices, not compulsions.
The electorate—whether in Lokoja/Koto or Okunland—cannot be conscripted into political alignment under the banner of predetermined formulas or rigid arrangements. People vote based on trust, track record, and developmental vision, not on threats or conditional loyalty.
While you referenced the “16-16-16 formula,” leadership and development cannot be reduced to numerical ratios. What our district needs is competence, character, and a unifying agenda that respects all tribes and communities equally.
A genuine call for unity must not carry undertones of intimidation or the suggestion that any tribe or constituency holds exclusive political leverage. Kogi West belongs to all of us—jointly and equally. We all have a stake, and no one has the right to dictate the political boundaries of others’ aspirations.
The true enemies of unity are not those who raise issues, but those who weaponize ethnicity to silence others.
What Kogi West needs today is:
— Development-focused leadership
— Infrastructure that works
— Youth empowerment
— Educational revival
— Economic growth
— And political fairness
Let us therefore channel our energies toward the actual needs of our people rather than framing innocent political expressions as tribal provocations.
Kogi West will rise—not on the altar of fear and division, but on unity, justice, and mutual respect.
– Ibrahim Orehi writes from Koton Karfe, Kogi state.
