Tension is brewing in Kogi State following allegations that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo made disparaging remarks about voter strength in Kogi East and sought political endorsements from traditional rulers in Okunland ahead of his expected reelection bid in 2027.
The Okun Leaders League (OLL), a socio-political group representing the Okun people of Kogi West, issued a strongly worded statement on Friday, accusing the governor of attempting to “denigrate the royal institution of Okunland” and “cause socio-ethnic disaffection” in the state.
According to the group, Governor Ododo had on Thursday, November 5, 2025, convened a meeting in Lokoja with the chairmen of traditional councils from the five core Okun local government areas—led by the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi—ostensibly to discuss security concerns in the region.
However, the OLL claimed that the meeting took a political turn, with the governor allegedly soliciting the monarchs’ support for his second-term ambition rather than addressing the spate of kidnappings and killings that have plagued Okunland in recent months.
Ododo Allegedly Questioned Kogi East’s Voter Numbers
The group alleged that Governor Ododo told the traditional rulers that the population and voter figures from Kogi East, dominated by the Igala ethnic group, were “inflated at the creation of the state in 1991,” leading to decades of political dominance by the zone.
He was also said to have explained a rotational power template, purportedly designed by his predecessor and political ally, former Governor Yahaya Bello, under which Kogi Central (his zone) would retain power for eight years before handing it to the Okun people in 2031, and later to the Lokoja/Kotonkarfe bloc in 2039.
“Kogi Is Not Anyone’s Personal Estate” — Okun Leaders
In their response, the OLL condemned what it described as Ododo’s “disrespectful” engagement with Okun royal fathers and his attempt to impose a political arrangement on the state.
“Kogi State is not the personal estate of any individual or group who believe they can selfishly dictate its political direction from their bedrooms,” the statement read.
The group further accused the Bello–Ododo administrations of adding “minimum value to sociocultural harmony” in the state over the past decade, arguing that Kogi remains “one of the most backward in Nigeria,” with its development profile worsening under their leadership.
Governor Ododo, the group advised, should focus on governance and security rather than “herding Okun royal fathers around like schoolchildren.”
“We wonder why he is not committing as much energy to wooing traditional rulers in Kogi East, which has nine local government areas—far more than in Okunland,” the statement added.
The release was jointly signed by Canon Andrew Baiyekuhi (Kabba-Bunu), Mallam Qassim Yusuf (Ijumu), Dr. James Ogbondeminu (Mopamuro), Engineer Omobowale Palufe (Yagba East), and Chief Samuel Obaro (Yagba West).
As of press time, Governor Ododo’s office had not issued any official response to the allegations.
If verified, the remarks could further heighten existing political and ethnic tensions in Kogi State, where debates over power rotation and representation have long been contentious.
