Yahaya Bello became governor in Kogi by accident. He took full advantage, won a second term, and through sheer willpower, retained power within his tribal minority.
Getting a second opportunity was always going to be a long shot.
Coming up for re-election, and knowing power will eventually return to the majority group, Governor Ahmed Ododo is trying a different tactic.
His receipt of a proposed power-rotation accord has revived debate over political inclusion, but history and demography suggest the arrangement may struggle to work. Ododo’s insistence on wider consultations acknowledges these challenges.
Presented by the Kogi Unity Accord Committee after consultations across the 21 local government areas, the proposal seeks equitable power-sharing and resource allocation.
Yet Kogi’s political landscape is shaped by three major ethnic groups: Igala, Ebira, and Okun, alongside smaller communities, each with distinct interests and competing political ambitions.
The state’s history of political competition, shifting alliances, and disagreements over representation makes a rigid rotational arrangement difficult to sustain, especially without constitutional safeguards, broad political acceptance, and enforceable commitments.