The Coalition for Better Kogi State (CBKS), a multi-party political alliance, has called for power to shift to Kogi West Senatorial District in the 2027 governorship election, describing the move as a matter of fairness, justice and political inclusion.
The coalition also called for an independent audit of alleged unpaid percentage salaries owed to civil servants, teachers and pensioners in the state, alongside an impartial investigation into reported cases of missing persons, particularly in Kogi Central.
The demands were outlined in a communiqué released by the coalition after an extraordinary multi-party stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja on Monday, October 26, 2026. The document was signed by its Secretary, Dr Tom Ohikere.
The coalition, which said it included members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Accord Party, Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and non-partisan elders from the three senatorial districts, said ongoing reconciliation efforts in the state would remain unsuccessful unless three major outstanding issues were addressed.
According to the communiqué, Kogi West has not produced an elected governor since the state was created in 1991, except for the 51-day period when former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Clarence Olafemi, briefly served as acting governor.
It stated that Kogi East had produced governors for 17 years, while Kogi Central would have accumulated 12 years by 2028, leaving Kogi West without an elected governor in the state’s political history.
The coalition maintained that the perceived political imbalance had heightened feelings of marginalisation in the western senatorial district. It insisted that the 2027 governorship election, which would lead to the inauguration of a new administration in January 2028, offered an opportunity to correct the situation.
It declared that the transfer of power to Kogi West should be regarded as a collective objective for the entire state rather than a political demand exclusive to one senatorial district.
On the second issue, the group questioned what it described as the neglect of APC founding members who invested their personal resources in registering and developing the party in Kogi State in 2013 and 2014, particularly ahead of the 2015 general elections.
It stated that the ongoing reconciliation process should address the complaints of party members who felt sidelined despite their contributions to the party’s development.
The coalition also expressed concern over alleged unpaid percentage salaries covering the period from 2016 to 2024, particularly affecting local government employees, primary school teachers and pensioners.
It alleged that although the state government now claimed to be paying full salaries, outstanding shortfalls accumulated during the period when workers received between 50 and 80 per cent of their salaries had yet to be fully audited or paid.
The group consequently called for an independent audit of the alleged arrears by a committee comprising representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
It also demanded the publication of verified outstanding liabilities and a clear payment timetable to ensure that affected workers and pensioners received any amounts confirmed to be owed to them.
The coalition argued that reconciliation would have little meaning if workers continued to face uncertainty over alleged salary arrears. It stressed that the process should begin with an assessment of the outstanding obligations.
The third issue raised by the group concerned reported cases of missing persons, particularly in Kogi Central, which it described as a source of distress for affected families and communities.
It specifically mentioned the reported disappearance of Kabiru Ozi-onyene, whom it alleged was taken away in broad daylight in Okene, and urged the state government to publicly address the matter.
The coalition, however, clarified that it was presenting reports and concerns attributed to families and communities rather than making unverified allegations against any individual or institution.
It called for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into reported disappearances, with membership drawn from the NBA, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), traditional rulers, civil society organisations and families of missing persons.
It further urged the authorities to conduct investigations capable of providing answers to affected families, ensuring appropriate remedies where wrongdoing was established and introducing safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The communiqué questioned whether the ongoing reconciliation process could adequately address the concerns of families whose relatives were reportedly missing. It argued that peace should be assessed by citizens’ safety and the ability of authorities to investigate such cases openly and transparently.
The coalition also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of an earlier reconciliation committee led by Hon. Mohammed Asema Sadiq, Esq. It said the committee included former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi A. Bello, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who reportedly served as secretary at the time.
It questioned whether the committee’s recommendations had received sufficient attention from the relevant authorities, warning that the perceived neglect of previous reconciliation efforts could weaken public confidence in the current process.
The group maintained that any new reconciliation initiative must be willing to address difficult questions and recommend corrective action rather than pursue a predetermined outcome.
Reiterating its position on power rotation, the coalition said Kogi West’s demand for the governorship was connected to broader concerns about fairness, workers’ welfare, accountability and public safety.
It argued that the district’s failure to produce an elected governor since the state’s creation had strengthened the case for power rotation. It added that a more inclusive political arrangement could help restore trust among the three senatorial districts.
The coalition declared that a power shift to Kogi West in 2028 was an irreversible objective that would be pursued through democratic voting and support across party lines.
It maintained that state-sponsored reconciliation efforts would remain incomplete unless they addressed the alleged salary arrears, reported disappearances and longstanding grievances over political exclusion.
The communiqué was also sent to political party chairmen in Kogi State, the Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers, the NLC, TUC, NBA Lokoja Branch, the National Human Rights Commission and media organisations.
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