Ibaji Riverine Group appeals to Kogi APC Chairman, seeking protection from political marginalization by upland brothers

The Riverine Communities of Ibaji Local Government Area have expressed deep concern over perceived political marginalization in their area, particularly in terms of political appointments. In a letter addressed to the Kogi State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, the communities urged intervention to address the skewed distribution of political appointments, which they say heavily favors the upland communities at the expense of the riverine areas.

They claim that since the advent of the current administration, appointments have been predominantly allocated to the upland, leaving the riverine communities underrepresented. Specifically, only the Local Government Council Chairman position is reportedly held by someone from the riverine area, while other political appointments meant for Ibaji LGA have gone to upland communities.

The riverine communities see this as an orchestrated marginalization that threatens their political relevance and development.

The communities have appealed for fairness and equity from the APC Chairman and have also sought the intervention of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who they believe is a believer in inclusivity and fairness.

The petition reflects frustrations over the neglect, underdevelopment, and exclusion of Ibaji riverine areas from political benefits, even as the area faces significant challenges such as annual flood disasters and developmental neglect.

This issue is part of a longer-standing grievance in Ibaji, where the riverine areas feel politically and economically sidelined compared to the upland counterparts within the same Local Government Area. They call for corrective measures to ensure equitable political representation and appointments for the riverine communities in Kogi State.

Speaking under the aegis of Ibaji Riverine Environmental Rights advocates (IRERA) and issued to Journalists, described the act as wicked if the continued marginalization of the riverine people by successive administrations in favour of the upland is allowed to go unhindered.

The letter issued and signed by Uchola Ojoagefu Andrew, said, noted that the Riverine Communities who are most deprived in terms of resources, environmental degradation have been neglected, called on the APC Chairman to help the riverine communities get a sense of belonging.

He said the riverine communities have been neglected for too long, pointing out that it will spell doom for the Party in the 2027 election if the appointments are not corrected and the riverine communities allowed opportunities to field candidates in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

He lamented that even the recent appointments of Members of the newly constituted Kogi Oil Producing Area Development Commission KGSODC was skewed against the riverine communities that lay the golden eggs.

The Statement called for immediate intervention in subsequent and other political appointments for Ibaji LGA, pointing out that fairness is fairness, said it is outright injustice for the riverine communities to be neglected.

The statement pointed out that, in all the political appointments meant for Ibaji LGA, only the Council Chairman is from the Riverine, while all other positions were domiciled in the Ibaji upland communities.

According to Ojoagefu, the Member representing Ibaji State Constituency, Mrs. Comfort Egwaba, who is the Deputy Speaker, Commissioner for Agriculture, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Governor, Majority leader of the Council legislature, the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Council, the LG Treasurer, Secretary to the LGC and the newly appointed Managing Director of the KGSODC are all from the upland communities.

He even lamented that even as low as the Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ibaji chapter was also fiercely grabbed by the upland, without consideration for the people of the Riverine who are ultimately the goose that lay the golden eggs for the LGA.

Ibaji LGA he explained is divided into upland and Riverine Communities, regrettably, the system, has deliberately zoned out the Riverine the Federal and State accrueable to the area, called for it to be corrected now and before 2027.

He said the only time the area produced a former Member of the House of Representatives, who spent two tenure, it was from the uplands, said the next opportunity should be zoned in the spirit of fairness, justice and sense of belonging zoned to the riverine, pointing out that it is the turn of Ibaji LGA to produce the next House of Representative for Idah Federal Constituency.

He described Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, a man of Equity and fairness, not to allow the marginalization against the riverine communities not to continue.

“We urge Gov. Ododo to consider our plights by correcting the age long political marginalization perpetuated by our brothers and sisters from upland against us in the Riverine.

” In Ibaji LGA we have become slaves politically to our brothers. Gov. Ododo is a believer in fairness and equity. He has shown inclusivity since his assumption of office. We control a population that swings victory in elections of Ibaji. We urge Gov. Ododo not to allow people who do not mean well, but by stroke of luck are close to corridors of power to keep misrepresenting the politics of Ibaji.

“Ahead 2027, we call on Gov. Ododo, who is God fearing and has shown love to Ibaji to take a painstaking engagement to ask how Ibaji LGA, with the riverine Communities have faired politically in terms of appointments which has been skewed against us remedy our plights”, the spokesperson concluded.