A broad political coalition, the Coalition for Better Kogi State, has demanded the rotation of the governorship seat to the Kogi West Senatorial District in the upcoming 2028 gubernatorial transition cycle, describing the move as an essential correction to a 35-year regional imbalance.
In a joint press conference held in Lokoja, the state capital, the convener of the coalition and former Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Tom Ohikere, emphasized that political stability, equity, and peaceful coexistence require all major zones of the state to share executive power.
Alongside its political agenda, the coalition issued a direct challenge to state authorities regarding civil service welfare, demanding a comprehensive, independent forensic audit into alleged unpaid percentage salaries owed to state civil servants, local government workers, primary school teachers, and pensioners.
Presenting historical governance metrics across Kogi's three senatorial districts since the state's creation in 1991, the coalition highlighted that Kogi West remains the only zone yet to produce an elected executive governor.
KOGI STATE GOVERNORSHIP DURATION BY SENATORIAL DISTRICT (1991–2028)
Kogi East Senatorial District : 17 Years (Audu, Wada, Bello-led initial era)
Kogi Central Senatorial District: 12 Years (Yahaya Bello, Usman Ododo tenure)
Kogi West Senatorial District : 0 Years (Excluding 51-day acting tenure)
The coalition noted that while former House of Assembly Speaker Clarence Olafemi briefly served as acting governor for 51 days in 2008, Kogi West has never occupied the governorship on an elected mandate.
Addressing ongoing administrative concerns, the coalition expressed worry over reports of incomplete salary payments and percentage wage structures affecting local council staff and primary school educators across the 21 Local Government Areas.
The coalition's key civil service demands include:
Independent Financial Audit: Commissioning an external forensic accounting firm to investigate verified backlogs of percentage salaries and pension arrears accumulated across previous and current administrations.
Transparent Public Disclosure: Publishing a full breakdown of state revenue allocations, statutory deductions, and civil service wage bill disbursements to clarify true liability levels.
Full Salary Restoration: Ending all forms of percentage salary payments for local government workers and primary school teachers to cushion current economic pressures.
The coalition called on major political parties—including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—to formally zone their governorship tickets to candidates from Kogi West ahead of the primary elections leading to the 2028 inauguration.
Civic organizations, including the Kogi Equity Alliance (KEA), have publicly endorsed the coalition's declaration, pledging to mobilize grassroots voters across Kogi East, Central, and West to treat power rotation as a unified statewide objective.