Kogi State, the Confluence State, stands as a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, and ideologies, a microcosm of Nigeria’s diversity. Our political landscape is equally dynamic, marked by vibrant engagements, passionate debates, and shifting alliances that reflect the evolving aspirations of our people. This dynamism, if properly understood and managed, is not a weakness but a source of strength and renewal for our democracy.
However, amid this political vibrancy, it is disheartening to see how politics has, at times, sown seeds of discord among brothers, friends, and even families. We must remind ourselves that politics is a contest of ideas, not a battlefield for enmity. The temporary heat of political competition should never destroy the permanent bond of brotherhood that binds us as Kogites.
Political interests are often transient they change with time, context, and leadership. Today’s rival may become tomorrow’s partner, and vice versa. But once we allow personal hatred to take root in the name of politics, we weaken the unity and peace that are essential for the progress of our state.
Kogi’s strength lies in its diversity. From Kogi East to Central and West, every zone contributes to the story of our collective identity. Our focus should be on how to harness this diversity to drive development, not how to use it as a weapon for division. The bridges of understanding and cooperation we build today will determine the stability and prosperity of our tomorrow.
After every election, governance continues. The roads, schools, hospitals, and opportunities we all seek are not partisan they belong to everyone, irrespective of political leaning. No development can thrive in an atmosphere of bitterness and disunity.
We must, therefore, embrace political maturity and tolerance. Let us engage constructively, debate respectfully, and disagree without hostility. Politics should be about service, progress, and legacy, not ego, hatred, or destruction.
In the end, no political position is worth the permanent loss of friendship, respect, or community peace. Parties will come and go, leaders will rise and fall, but Kogi State remains our common heritage.
Let us build bridges, not walls. Let us choose peace over provocation and unity over division, for Kogi’s greatness is a collective responsibility.
– Comrade Danfulani Lukman Ohinoyi writes from Okene, Kogi State.
