November 11 Election: Full List of Kogi State Governors From 1999 to Date
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Kogi state, Lokoja - Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state will be replaced by a new governor, following the decision and the votes of the good people of the state on Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Source: Facebook
But the incumbent governor hails from Kogi central, while his deputy is from the eastern part of the state.
Since 1999, the state has produced three governors, the late Abubakar Audu, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, and Captain Idris Wada, from Kogi East, Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Kogi Central), while Chief Clarence Olafemi (Kogi West) governed the state for 60 days in an acting capacity.
The past governors' tenures showed that Kogi East had ruled the state for 16 years, from 1999 to 2016, while Kogi Central, where the incumbent governor, Bello, hails from, has been in the saddle of the state's affairs from 2016 till date.
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The electorates will, however, decide who leads them from among the top contenders in a keenly contested race, which includes Bello's anointed candidate, Usman Ododo.
List of past and present governor of Kogi state
As the struggle for who succeeds Governor Bello takes a new twist, a few hours from now, with predictions from political actors, pastors and prophets with major contenders and political parties talking tough, Legit.ng goes down memory lane with the list of previous governors in the state.
Augustine Aniebo (1998 - 1999)
Augustine Aniebo, born on March 23, 1950, is a retired Nigerian army brigadier general who served as military administrator of Kogi state from 1998 to 1999.
During the regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, he handed over to the elected civilian governor, Abubakar Audu, on May 29, 1999, at the start of the Fourth Republic.
Aniebo left office on May 29 1999, without swearing in his successor, handing over by proxy.
Abubakar Audu (1999 – 2003) All People's Party (APP)
Prince Abubakar Audu was the second democratically elected governor of Kogi state.
The strong-willed politician was born on October 24, 1947, but died on November 22, 2015.
The late Audu was a Nigerian career banker and politician who was the first civilian governor of Kogi state.
He ruled Kogi state twice (first in the Third Republic and second in the Fourth Republic). His first tenure was from January 1992 until November 1993, and the second from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2003.
The politician died due to a bleeding ulcer before the announcement of the election results on November 22, 2015, while seeking to be re-elected as governor on the platform of Nigeria's ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibrahim Idris ( 2003 - 2008, 2011) PDP
Idris emerged as the second executive governor of Kogi state on the PDP platform in April 2003, after defeating the then governor Prince Abubakar Audu of the All People's Party (APP).
The Nigerian politician and businessman, who served as governor from 2003 to 2011, was succeeded by his brother-in-law captain Idris Wada, who won the election in December 2011 and took office in January 2012.
Clarence Olafemi (2008–2011) PDP
Olafemi ruled the people of Kogi state in 2008 in an acting capacity from February 6, 2008 - March 29, 2008.
He assumed office after the removal of the governor, Ibrahim Idris and his deputy, Philip Salawu, by the Supreme Court.
Olafemi, a former speaker of the Kogi state assembly, handed power back to Ibrahim Idris on March 29, 2008, after he won a fresh election.
Idris Wada (2011 - 2016) PDP
Idris Ichala Wada, born August 26, 1950, is a Nigerian retired pilot and politician.
But on December 9, 2011, he made history and emerged as the third (3rd) Governor of Kogi state on the platform of the PDP.
Idris was, however, succeeded by Yahaya Bello on January 27, 2016, after losing the 2015 Kogi State gubernatorial election.
Yahaya Adoza Bello (APC)
Bello is the current governor and the fourth civilian governor of Kogi state.
Born June 18, 1975, Bello is a Nigerian businessman and politician who has served as the governor of Kogi state since 2016.
A member of the APC, Bello has been the youngest governor in Nigeria throughout his term in office.
Interestingly, Bello will hand over power to his successor following the outcome of the governorship election in the state on Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Atiku sends message to PDP supporters
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has told citizens of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi state voters to reject the APC in the upcoming gubernatorial polls slated for Saturday, November 11.
Atiku stated this in a statement released on his official X handle on Wednesday, November 7.
The PDP chieftain described the upcoming election as one that is about the people and the choices they make.
Source: Legit.ng
