***Okun Leaders League Accuses him of Disrespecting Traditional Rulers, Fanning Ethnic Tension
The Okun Leaders League (OLL) has condemned Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo over alleged remarks downplaying the voter strength of Kogi East and for what it described as a “disrespectful attempt” to politicise the traditional institution in Okunland.
In a statement issued in Lokoja, OLL expressed outrage that during a meeting with Okun traditional rulers on Thursday, November 5, the governor allegedly dismissed Kogi East’s long-standing electoral dominance as a product of “inflated population figures,” claiming the zone’s numbers had been exaggerated since the state’s creation in 1991.
The group said such utterances were divisive and unbecoming of a state chief executive who should be fostering unity across ethnic lines.
“Governor Ododo’s comment is a dangerous attempt to rewrite the political history of Kogi and set one ethnic group against another,” the statement read.
OLL also faulted the governor for turning what was billed as a security meeting with Okun royal fathers into a campaign platform for his 2027 re-election bid, describing it as a misuse of the royal institution.
The League urged traditional rulers to remain apolitical and resist political manipulation under the guise of consultation, adding that Okunland “cannot be pacified with symbolic offices while genuine equity remains elusive.”
“Kogi State is not anyone’s private estate,” OLL declared. “The governor should focus on restoring security, improving governance, and building trust, not fanning ethnic rivalries.”
The statement was endorsed 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).
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