Elders of Kogi West Senatorial District under the aegis of Kogi West Elders’ Forum (KWEF) on Thursday told political parties and other senatorial districts to consider zoning the governorship seat to the West come 2023.
The elders who decried the political imbalance in Kogi State between the three senatorial districts of Kogi East, Kogi Central and Kogi west, stated this in a communique signed by the Chairman of the forum, David Jemibewon.
This is even as they rejected the position of deputy governor in the 2023 gubernatorial election.
The forum said it is dismayed over the skewed political power play in the state that has denied Kogi West the ability to produce a governor of the state since the creation of the state in 1991 “despite their good intention and active participation in previous elections.”
They described as unfair the fact that the two other senatorial districts of East and Central have occupied the seat of the state governor for about 21 years – and 25 years by the time the incumbent, Yahaya Bello, leaves office in 2023.
“Political parties should consider candidates from Kogi West Senatorial District and we reject running mates in all political parties.
“The and all political actors in the state should take conscious note of this demand and support every arrangement that will be the aspiration. And all political parties in the Western Senatorial District must endeavour to work together to stimulate actions that would produce credible candidate(s) leading to their state primary elections in the state.
“Political parties in this regard must, however, align with the Eastern and Central Senatorial Districts of the state to accomplish the objective by working to produce a governorship candidate that will be acceptable to all the flanks of the state in the 2023 governorship election,” part of the statement read.
While the forum reminded the governor of their support during the last election, they also noted that as an aspiring president, he needs to more than ever before, “demonstrate his support for an enduring power sharing and restructuring arrangement at the grassroots level in Kogi State and Nigeria as widely convasssed by all critical and discerning minds in Nigeria.”
This demonstration, they said, will show the infallible strength of good character and integrity he poses to lead a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria.
The elders further said that Kogi West Senatorial District has embellished numbers of qualified candidates that understand the need for good governance that will benefit every part of the state.
They also urged Mr Bello not to allow anyone take the state back to the time when the whipping of sentiment, pettiness and selfishness of interest groups influenced previous administrations to be parochial in the management of the power equation among the various ethnic groups in the state.
The KWEF is one of many groups that have called for zoning of the governorship seat to the senatorial district come 2023.
