A group, Okun Core Progressives, has urged President Bola Tinubu to fill the ministerial slot of Kogi state with a nominee from Western Senatorial District of the state.
In a statement issued in Lokoja on Wednesday, the group said the call is premised on the need for fairness, equity and justice.
The statement signed by the national president of the group, Chief Akande Michael, argued that since the incumbent Governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello is from the Central senatorial district, it will be unfair to pick someone from same zone for the state’s ministerial slot.
Akande added that the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November governorship election in Kogi state, Ahmed Ododo is from Central while his running mate, Joel Salifu Oyibo is from the Eastern senatorial district, leaving the West with nothing.
He stated that the Eastern senatorial district equally enjoyed the ministerial slot for the state during first 4-years tenure of immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari as represented by late Chief James Ocholi and Prof. Stephen Ocheni.
The group said in the interest of fairness, justice and equity, Kogi West deserves to produce the ministerial nominee from Kogi State.
They urged President Tinubu to consider Okun axis of Kogi West owing to the fact that last minister from the state, Ramatu Tijjani, hails from the Lokoja/Kotonkarfe axis of the senatorial district.
In a related development, a former member, House of Representatives, Hon Duro Meseko is reported to be one of those being strongly considered for for Kogi’s ministerial slot.
The source said
“Hon. Duro Meseko played a major role as Chief of Staff to Hon. James Faleke when the latter was Secretary, Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
“He is a grassroots mobilizer and brilliant Journalist of over 30 years. Aside from being a committed member of the Faleke’s political family, Meseko was also a former aspirant for the position of APC national publicity Secretary.
“Meseko is man of proven capacity with undeniable loyalty to APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
The source expressed confidence in the ability of Meseko to make the ruling party stronger in Kogi state and Nigeria.
However, Abubakar Sanusi Gamji, a former aspirant in the 2015 APC governorship primaries, from Kogi Central, and Zakari Jiya, who contestaed APC governorship primaries in 2019, from Kogi East, are other names being speculated amongst potential nominees for the Kogi ministerial slot.