By joshua KOGI 2027: TRUE LOYALTY DOES NOT REBEL AGAINST THE INTEREST, LEADERS AND ELDERS OF ITS’ PEOPLE
By Musa Bakare
A timeless African proverb teaches: “The child who points at his father’s house with the left hand has forgotten the lessons of his ancestors.”
This is more than a proverb; it is a moral philosophy. It reminds us that character is greater than ambition and that respect is the foundation upon which enduring leadership is built.
One of the most disturbing developments in Kogi State politics today is the emergence of individuals who, in their desperate quest for appointments, political relevance and public recognition, have mistaken betrayal, insults for loyalty and abuse for courage.
They seem to believe that the quickest path to political acceptance is to publicly betray the interests, ridicule, insult and denigrate the respected elders and leaders of their own people.
Nothing could be more unfortunate. Nothing could be more dishonourable. Nothing could be more alien to the cherished values of the people of Kogi West.
The Okun Yoruba people of Kogi state in particular have, for centuries, been celebrated as ọmọlúàbí, people of honour, discipline, dignity, integrity, humility and profound respect for age and leadership.
These are not mere cultural slogans; they are enduring moral values that define our identity.
An *ọmọlúàbí* may disagree. An *ọmọlúàbí* may oppose. An *ọmọlúàbí* may reject an idea. But an ọmọlúàbí never abandons courtesy. An ọmọlúàbí never insults elders to prove loyalty to another leader.
An ọmọlúàbí understands that disagreement should never extinguish respect. And that, politics should never become an excuse for cultural bankruptcy.
As discussions about the 2027 Kogi State governorship election gather momentum, it has become increasingly evident that some self appointed political defenders have chosen the dangerous path of bitterness, arrogance and reckless verbal attacks against respected leaders and elders of Kogi West.
They imagine they are defending a political cause. In reality, they are damaging the image of the very leaders they claim to serve.
A truly loyal supporter protects the reputation of his principal; he does not stain it. He builds bridges, not walls. He persuades rather than insults. He wins friends for his leader instead of creating enemies.
Leadership is not measured by the number of insults one can hurl at perceived opponents. It is measured by the number of hearts one can unite.
The irony is striking. Those who insult respected elders of their people today in the name of loyalty will tomorrow insult the same leaders they now praise, if political interests change.
Character has no political party. Anyone who disrespects elders today will eventually show the same disrespect to those he now calls his benefactors.
That is why every wise leader must be careful about the kind of followers he encourages.
Every discerning political leader should publicly distance themselves from supporters who believe that abusing their peoples’ elders and respected leaders is a demonstration of loyalty.
Such conduct does not honour leadership; it disgraces it.
No responsible leader should allow his name to become a licence for incivility.
The greatness of a leader is reflected in the conduct of those who claim to follow him.
The future of Kogi West and indeed Kogi State cannot be built on betrayals, insults, rudeness and character assassination.
It cannot be built on hatred disguised as political commitment. It must be built on wisdom, mutual respect, dialogue and the enduring values that have sustained our people for generations.
History also deserves to be remembered accurately here.
When former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello sought re election in 2019, the prominent leader of Kogi West he turned to was Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke.
At that critical moment, Hon. Faleke mobilised many of us, his followers and supporters, to support Governor Bello’s second term bid.
We were received by Governor Bello himself at the Glass House, Government House, Lokoja. Hon. Faleke formally presented us to him and gave us the necessary support to campaign vigorously across Kogi State.
We worked tirelessly, and Governor Bello secured victory.
History should not be rewritten simply because political calculations have changed.
Those who stood together yesterday should not become targets of abuse today merely to satisfy the ambitions of political opportunists seeking appointments or relevance.
Power is temporary, character is permanent. Political offices expire, but reputation outlives generations.
Appointments come and go, but the shame of publicly insulting one’s people interest and elders remains a permanent stain on one’s name.
As the Kogi state 2027 political season approaches, let every aspiring leader and every political supporter remember this timeless truth: politics without culture degenerates into intolerance; ambition without character becomes recklessness; and loyalty without honour descends into blind fanaticism.
Our fathers in Kogi West handed down to us a priceless heritage of dignity, honour and respect. Let us not exchange that noble inheritance for the fleeting applause of politics.
History ultimately remembers not those who shouted the loudest, but those who preserved the nobility of their people.
That is the true spirit of ọmọlúàbí. That is the path worthy of Kogi politics. That is the legacy future generations deserve.
Musa Asiru Bakare
Founding Member of APC, | Political Analyst
Writes from Lokoja, Kogi State
July 22, 2026