Kogi Power Rotation: Group Rejects Pre-emptive Claims »

A group has said Dr Tom Ohikere’s call for the Kogi governorship to rotate to Kogi West in 2028 cannot be taken as the collective position of stakeholders expected to participate in the Kogi Power Rotation Summit.

The group, in a statement ahead of the summit scheduled for September 30 and October 1, 2026, said no resolution had been reached because the stakeholders had not yet assembled or deliberated on the issue.

Ohikere, a former Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Convener of the Coalition for Better Kogi State, recently called for the governorship to be zoned to Kogi West in 2028. He also rejected the proposed summit, questioning its neutrality and describing it as a gathering organised by serving government officials.

However, the group argued that Ohikere was entitled to advocate for Kogi West but could not determine the position of the wider state ahead of the summit.

“The position of one individual, no matter how strongly expressed, cannot automatically become the position of an entire state,” the group said.

According to the statement, the Kogi Power Rotation Summit is intended to provide a platform for competing perspectives on political rotation, equity and representation across the state’s three senatorial districts.

It said the gathering was expected to involve traditional rulers, religious leaders, professional bodies, civil society and development organisations, youth and student associations, political parties and community organisations from the 21 local government areas.

The statement listed among the invited stakeholders the Attah of Igala, the Ohinoyi of Ebira, the Obaro of Kabba, the Ohimege of Koto and the Aguma of Bassa, as well as traditional councils.

It also mentioned the Christian Association of Nigeria, Council of Ulama, Igala Cultural and Development Association, Ebira People Association, Okun Development Association, Bassa Development Union, Ogori Descendants Union, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigeria Labour Congress, Nigeria Medical Association and Nigeria Union of Teachers.

Political parties including the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party and Labour Party were also identified as invitees.

The group said more than 150 stakeholders and respected individuals were expected to be drawn from across the 21 local government areas, arguing that the breadth of participation made it inappropriate for any individual, party or senatorial district to claim the outcome in advance.

Ohikere has maintained that Kogi West should produce the governor in 2028, arguing that the principle of equity requires rotation among the three senatorial districts. He has also acknowledged that political rotation is not a constitutional requirement but argued that zoning and political agreements form part of Nigeria’s political practice.

The group said stakeholders at the summit could hold different views on the history of power rotation, equity, representation, population, previous political agreements and the interests of their respective communities.

It therefore urged that those positions be allowed to emerge through dialogue rather than through declarations made before the meeting.

“If Dr. Ohikere has compelling arguments concerning Kogi West, the most constructive place to present them is before a broad gathering of Kogi stakeholders where they can be heard, questioned and considered alongside other perspectives,” the statement said.

It added that disagreement with the summit did not prevent the event from taking place and that declining to participate did not give any individual the authority to speak for other invited stakeholders.

The group also said concerns about the composition, neutrality or methodology of the summit could be raised openly for consideration by the organisers and other participants.

It stressed that the summit should not be treated as a forum designed to endorse a particular zone, candidate or political interest, but as an opportunity for stakeholders to present and examine competing positions.

“The summit has not yet happened. The stakeholders have not yet assembled. The discussions have not yet taken place. No final communiqué has been issued. No collective resolution has been adopted,” the statement said.

The group called on representatives of Kogi East, Kogi Central and Kogi West, alongside traditional institutions, religious organisations, professional bodies, youth and student groups, community associations and political parties, to use the summit to present their respective positions.

The Kogi Power Rotation Summit is scheduled for September 30 and October 1, 2026, while Ohikere’s Coalition for Better Kogi State has separately announced plans for a “Kogi Equity, Unity and Rotation National Summit” in Abuja in the third week of October.

The immediate issue, according to the statement, is therefore not which position should prevail but allowing the invited stakeholders to participate in the discussion before any claim is made about a collective position on Kogi’s 2028 governorship.