We have lived together as brothers and sisters since the inception of Kogi State on August 27, 1991 without fears of being inclined to envisge deliberate marginalisation of any of the zones.
Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary which is billed to hold on April 16, 2023, where delegates will converge to decide the faith of all the contenders. Here comes a distinguished Nigerian from Kogi West Senatorial Districts, Senator Dino Melaye, who has visited the lengths and breath of Kogi State to consult and canvass for supports from party leaders, delegates and stakeholders ahead of the primary.
As it stands, all PDP aspirants are from only two of the senatorial districts, Kogi West has (3) and (7) from East, while Central didn’t field any aspirant.
The aspiration of Sen Dino Melaye to become Kogi State governor under the PDP platform is beyond self or personal ambition and project. Isn’t a project from the angle of self entitlement but an ambition concealed to activate the needed political and administrative incorrections, imbalance and restore fairness and equity in our political system. Since creation of Kogi State, we have had four executive governors, His Excellencies; Prince Abubakar Audu, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, (Ibro), Capt. Idris Wada, all from Kogi East. While the current governor Yahaya Bello, who serving out his second term of eight years is from Kogi Central.
To our distinguished leaders of Kogi East and Central District, if Kogi West have demonstrated love and fairness by giving you the required cooperation that has led your district to produce the First, Second and Third Executive Governors from Igala land alone, in a state that naturally and ordinarily belongs to all of us, same to the Central district serving a two term of eight years, will it not be politically fair, just, proper and correct to reciprocate such electoral gestures back to Kogi West, the only district that has never tasted the governorship position since creation?
Fairness entails the equal treatment of everyone, group or zone, where no one is left out in power rotation or distribution as the case may be. While equity is quality of being fair or impartial; the entrenchment and necessity of fairness and equity have always guaranteed peace anywhere. Elders, Women and Youth groups from Kogi West and beyond have lend their voices to this struggle.
Therefore, the demands and appeal being championed, canvassed and promoted by distinguish Senator Dino Melaye on behalf of the good people of Kogi West Senatorial District, for the consideration to fly PDP governorship ticket 2023 is politically, morally and fundamentally just and fair agenda. In fact, it will be fair to say the demand by Kogi West is spiritually ripe.
Kogi West Senatorial Districts remain the most marginalized population and groups of communities that have been experiencing discrimination and exclusion from (social, political and economic) power because of unequal power relationships and distribution across economic, political, social and administrative dimensions.
Conclusively the coming into the governorship race by Sen Dino Melaye is very fundamental and of course, a creation of necessity for “fairness and equity” to reign supreme.
– Gbenga Bright writes from Lokoja, Kogi State
