The senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Smart Adeyemi, said people from the district have resolved not to vote for any candidate outside the zone.
Mr Adeyemi, who is one of the contenders in the November 11 governorship election in the state, stated this on Friday during an interview on Trust TV.
He explained that for 32 years, the zone had not produced a governor in the state.
“Kogi West leaders, women and professionals have met and decided that none of us will vote for any candidate that’s not from the zone. We are not slaves. We are not conquered. This is our resolution as a people.
“How can we be in a state for 32 years and we are not allowed to produce a governor and you want us to say we are part of that state? It doesn’t make sense. The world is governed by fairness,” he said.
The lawmaker explained that he, alongside other members of the party in his senatorial district, supported the re-election bid of the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, with the expectation that he was going to cede power to the west at the end of his tenure.
“The world is listening to me. We are part and parcel of Kogi State. We supported Yahaya Adoza Bello. In fact, he won his second term with the support of Kogi West because at that time, the zone had one of their own who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“We didn’t field a candidate in the APC. So, we supported him with the understanding that he would hand over to the West. And I am not in doubt that he is still going to do that because, in politics, 24 hours is still a long time.
“Let me tell you that it will be at the peril of the party not to field a candidate from Kogi West. And we are just three that are contesting for it; myself, the commissioner of finance, and one businessman from Lagos,” Mr Adeyemi added.
