By Habeeb Ibrahim
The death of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has left former Governor Yahaya Bello as the only living former elected governor of the state, apart from the incumbent, Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Idris died in the United Kingdom on Sunday at the age of 77. He governed Kogi from 2003 to 2012 and remains the longest-serving governor in the state’s history.
Before Idris’ death, Kogi’s line of elected governors included Abubakar Audu, Idris Wada and Yahaya Bello.
Audu, who served as governor from 1992 to 1993 and again from 1999 to 2003, died in November 2015 while contesting the 2015 governorship election.
Idris succeeded Audu in 2003 and spent nearly nine years in office, with his tenure interrupted in 2008 following the annulment of his 2007 election before he returned after a rerun.
He was succeeded by Idris Wada, who governed the state from January 2012 to January 2016. Wada was then succeeded by Yahaya Bello, who served from 2016 to 2024.
With Idris’ death, Bello is now the only surviving former elected governor among Kogi’s past civilian governors, while Ododo remains the incumbent.
The development also marks the loss of another major figure from the generation that dominated Kogi politics before the emergence of Bello and the current administration.
