Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has reportedly died in the United Kingdom at the age of 77.
Idris, a prominent figure in Kogi State politics, served as governor from 2003 to 2012 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with his tenure interrupted by a court-ordered rerun of the 2007 governorship election.
Details surrounding his reported death, including the circumstances and the date, were not immediately available in the information reviewed for this report.
Who Was Ibrahim Idris?
Born in 1949 in Idah, present-day Kogi State, Idris was a politician and businessman who rose to prominence in the state’s political landscape following the return to civilian rule in 1999.
Before becoming governor, he was involved in business, including trading and other commercial ventures. He later emerged as the PDP candidate in the 2003 Kogi State governorship election.
Idris won the election and assumed office on May 29, 2003, succeeding Abubakar Audu. He remained in office until February 2008, when the courts nullified the 2007 election and ordered a rerun.
2007 Election Dispute and Return to Office
Idris was declared the winner of the 2007 governorship election, but the result was challenged after the exclusion of Audu, the opposition candidate, from the poll.
The Court of Appeal upheld the nullification of the election in February 2008 and ordered a fresh vote. Idris subsequently won the rerun conducted on March 29, 2008, and returned to office in April of that year.
The election dispute became one of the defining episodes of his time in office and remains part of Kogi State’s political history.
Years as Governor and Political Legacy
Idris served as governor until January 2012, completing nearly nine years in office across two periods. He was succeeded by Idris Wada, who won the December 2011 governorship election.
His tenure spanned a significant period in Kogi’s Fourth Republic political development, including the state’s changing party dynamics and the legal contest surrounding the 2007 election.
The Bureau Journal has covered other developments in Kogi politics, including the APC’s Kogi East senatorial ticket decision, a Kogi Assembly bill addressing security concerns and electoral reforms and preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Family and Political Connections
Idris’s family has also been involved in politics. His son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, served in the House of Representatives, representing Ankpa, Omala and Olamaboro Federal Constituency from 2011 to 2015. He died in April 2024.
Further details about the former governor’s reported death and any official family statement were not available in the material reviewed for this report.
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