Oyindamola Ogunbowale
Kogi State has been thrown into mourning following the death of former governor Ibrahim Idris, popularly known as Ibro, who died in the United Kingdom on Sunday at the age of 77.
Idris, who governed Kogi for almost nine years, was one of the state’s longest-serving political figures.
He assumed office in 2003 and remained governor until January 2012, navigating a period marked by electoral disputes and legal battles.
Before entering public office, Idris built a career in business, with interests spanning furniture manufacturing, construction, hospitality and general commerce.
He established Ibro Trading Company and expanded his business activities before moving into politics.
His political career took a major turn in 2003 when he defeated the incumbent governor, Abubakar Audu, to become Kogi governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Four years later, his return to office became entangled in one of the state’s major electoral controversies.
Although Idris was declared the winner of the 2007 governorship election, the result was later nullified following a legal challenge over the exclusion of his main challenger, Abubakar Audu.
A fresh election was subsequently ordered, with Idris winning the March 2008 rerun and returning to Government House.
His second spell in office was later affected by another legal battle over the duration of his tenure.
The dispute eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in January 2012 that his tenure had not restarted from the date of the rerun election.
Beyond the political controversies, Idris’s administration was associated with several infrastructure and development projects across Kogi, including the Greater Lokoja Water Scheme, Lokoja International Market, Confluence Stadium and a specialist hospital.
His government also supported educational development and accreditation efforts at the then Kogi State University, Anyigba.
After leaving office, Idris remained active in Kogi politics and within the PDP, maintaining his presence in the state’s political affairs.
His death has now brought an end to the life of a man whose journey took him from business into the centre of Kogi’s political history.
Governor Usman Ododo has declared three days of mourning in his honour, with the national and Kogi State flags to fly at half-mast across government offices and designated public institutions.
The state government has also announced plans for a state burial.
As tributes continue to pour in, Ibrahim Idris leaves behind a political history spanning his emergence as governor in 2003, the electoral disputes that followed, nearly nine years in office and his subsequent years as an elder statesman in Kogi politics.
For many in the state, the man known simply as “Ibro” has now become part of Kogi’s political history.
