Okun Traditional Rulers Reject Ododo’s 2027 Re-Election Bid

Traditional rulers from Kogi West Senatorial District have unanimously rejected Governor Usman Ododo’s second-term ambition, warning that his re-election bid could worsen socio-economic tensions in the state.

Naija News reports that the monarchs, speaking under the Okun Leaders League, said they do not support any move by the governor to return in 2027.

In a jointly signed statement issued by Canon Andrew Baiyekuhi (Kabba-Bunu), Mallam Qassim Yusuf (Ijumu), Dr James Ogbondeminu (Mopamuro), Engr. Omobowale Palufe (Yagba East), and Chief Samuel Obaro (Yagba West), the Okun Leaders League cautioned Ododo against “denigrating the royal institution of Okunland” in the quest for endorsements.

According to the group, credible reports from representatives across the five Okun local governments indicated that Governor Ododo invited chairmen of traditional councils, led by the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, to what was tagged a security meeting on November 5, 2025.

Rather than address kidnappings, killings, and other security challenges affecting Okunland, the group alleged that the governor turned the gathering into a platform to seek support for his reelection bid.

The statement reads, “Rather than address the pressing security concerns in the Okun area, Ododo reportedly veered off into canvassing his reelection in 2027.”

It added that the governor told the monarchs that their subjects “will listen and comply with their request to support his second term.”

OLL also alleged that the governor referenced a political arrangement designed by his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, suggesting that Kogi Central should complete four terms to match Kogi East before power shifts to Kogi West in 2031.

The group strongly rejected the claim.

According to the statement, “Kogi State is not the personal estate of any individual or group who believe they have captured it and can selfishly dictate its political direction from their bedrooms.”

‘Ododo And Bello Brought Minimum Value’ – OLL Claims

The group argued that when Kogi State was created 34 years ago, both Ododo and Bello were still teenagers “with no knowledge of how and why the state came to be.”

It claimed that their combined 10 years in office had brought “minimum value” to social cohesion and development, insisting that the state remains “one of the most backwards in Nigeria.”

The league questioned why Governor Ododo was not engaging traditional rulers in Kogi East with equal intensity, despite the district having nine local governments, far more than Okunland.

The statement urged the governor to face governance and stop dragging royal fathers into political manoeuvring.

“OLL advises the governor to sit at his desk in Lokoja and see if he can redeem himself in the remaining two years of his mandate, rather than herding Okun royal fathers around like schoolchildren,” the group added.

Source: Naijanews