By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
A political Interest group canvassing for rotation of Power among the Ethnic Majorities of Kogi State, Kogi Youth Ambassadors (KYA), has urged the political leadership in the state and Governor Yahaya Bello in particular to support rotation of the state Governorship to the Western Senatorial Zone in the interest of equity, fairness, and justice.
Speaking at a news conference in Lokoja on Monday, the State Coordinator of KYA, Prince Abdulsalami A. Ozianda, expressed the rationale behind the group’s agitation:
“We stand for Equity, Fairness, and Justice in our collective struggle for interest aggregation to the advantage of each of the three ethnic groupings in the state since the formation of this political association, and we stand by the ideals of KYA, which is to promote equal opportunity in the governance of the state with regards to our political relationships as a state bound by the common sense of equity and fairness.
“We have consistently in the past argued and promoted the idea of power shift to each of the political zones until we eventually had power shifted by natural circumstances to the central Senatorial District that now occupies the state Governorship position.
“Since Kogi East had produced the Governorship for sixteen years, the central in the saddle for eight years now, it’s is logical and politically expedient in our common interest to rotate power to Kogi West and the time is now; until it gets to the turn of the East,” Ozianda argues.
The group claims it has a membership strength of twenty thousand PVCS-Carried members across the 239 Polling Units in the state, adding that the organization has a wide network of contacts with politically active Youths working towards power rotation to the West.
Asked whether the group is working for any governorship aspirant from Kogi West or inclined to any other political interest, Comrade Ozianda says: “we have no particular aspirant or political party in mind, but our interest and preoccupation is the common good of Kogi State. As such, KYA implores Governor Yahaya Bello to identify and endorse any competent and saleable aspirant from Kogi West for the Governorship position.
“We urge the political class, especially the dominant political parties (APC and PDP) and well-meaning Kogites irrespective of party affiliation to embrace the option of power shift for a peaceful, united, and progressive Kogi State where the political aspiration of every section of the state is respected, favoured and sustained for the common good of Kogi State.”
According to KYA State Coordinator, the group has mapped out various strategies including a media campaign to actualize its objectives as the State enters into fierce political campaigns for the state gubernatorial election in November this year with the state Governorship primary slated for April 2023.
