By joshua 
Olurotimi Phillip Odofin
As political activities began to take shape ahead of the 2023 general election in Nigeria, political actors from the Western Senatorial District of Kogi State are back on the track to ensure that candidates of the people get elected to office.
It’s of great concern that the people of Yagba federal constituency who occupied vantage points in the political circumference of Kogi West Senatorial District have not been very fortunate to occupy the seat since the return of the democratic governance in 1999.
Even though Yagba people have been playing strategic roles in the political process of electing successive Senators from the District, there is a growing concern over why? A Yagba man or woman has not been voted to be the senator of Kogi West Senatorial district.
Steering from the enormous contribution of Yagba people in the political emancipation of Kogi State especially in Kogi West, one began to wonder what is preventing a yagba person from becoming the senator of the district.
Therefore the need to have a Yagba Person on the ballot in the coming senatorial election for Kogi West is long overdue because they are the only constituency in the senatorial District yet to produce a senator.
From available record, Between the year 1999 and 2007, Senator Tunde Ogbeha from Lokoja Koto Federal Constituency Represented the people of Kogi West in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly on two consecutive legislative term
Meanwhile the result of the 2007 National Assembly Election in Kogi West equally Produced Senator Smart Adeyemi from Kabba /Bunu/ Ijumu Federal Constituency. Senator Smart as remained in that office until 2015, when he lost the election for a third term to another of his IJUMU brother, In the person of Senator Dino Melaye.
After a period of four years single term, Dino’s lost the office to Smart Adeyemi who defeated him in the 2019 keenly contested elections and Senator Smart returned to the senate and still making waves for the people of Kabba/Bunu Ijumu Federal Constituency. The position which he still occupies till date.
From the brief history of the Kogi West Senatorial polls since 1999 until 2023 when another election would be conducted two out of three federal constituencies, have had their fair share of Senatorial representation of Kogi West leaving only Yagba federal Constituency out.
In the spirit of equity and fairness, it is only incumbent, logical and proper for the two other federal constituents which is Lokoja /Koto and Kabba/Bunu/ Ijumu to allow the people of Yagba Federal Constituency to produce the next senator from Kogi West.
It is hoped that the Yagba people will go into the 2023 Kogi West senatorial election singing from the same hymn book and with uniqueness of purpose and interest.
One can only pray to see a Unity candidate of Yagba extraction that would reflect the collective interest of the people of Kogi West.
It is highly important for the people of Yagba land to come together, put their homes in order, get united and speak with one voice while moving into the 2023 Senatorial Election.
They should be reminded that a house that is divided against itself can not stand up to victory.
All well-meaning Yagba sons and daughters should do away with any personal or individualistic sentiment and work in harmony for the collective agenda of making the next senator from Kogi West a Yagba man.
Going into the election proper with a collective interest should be paramount than any other sectional or individual ambition.
The ultimate goal should be that of having a Yagba man as a senator and this is a great duty of everyone from Yagba land. All interest should be collectively harmonized in such a way that a Yagba man would enjoy the support of his people in any of the major political parties. With this in mind, we can be hopeful for a landslide victory come 2023.