The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has expressed shock and grief over the death of former Governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris. A statement issued on Monday by the party's state chairman, Mohammed Sani Gambo, conveyed the party's heartfelt condolences to Idris's family, the Government and people of Kogi State, and the PDP family nationwide. Gambo described Idris's death as a monumental loss to the PDP, Kogi State, and Nigeria at large.
Idris served as Governor of Kogi State from 2003 to 2012 under the PDP platform. His administration was marked by purposeful, people-centred, and all-inclusive governance that laid the foundation for modern Kogi State. Gambo highlighted Idris's achievements, including massive road infrastructure development, construction of the State Secretariat Complex, Confluence Stadium, and Kogi State University Teaching Hospital. Idris also implemented rural electrification, water schemes, housing estates, and human capital development initiatives.
Gambo described Idris as a leader with a large heart who governed Kogi with humility, compassion, and unity. Idris broke barriers of ethnicity, religion, and senatorial divides, making every Kogite see Kogi as one family. His administration was characterized by prompt payment of workers' salaries, promotion of peace and stability, and a government that listened to the people. Gambo also noted that Idris's politics was without bitterness, and his philanthropy knew no bounds.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Idris remained a father figure, a stabilising force, and a beacon of wisdom. His counsel would be sorely missed, according to Gambo. The PDP state chairman prayed for Allah's forgiveness for Idris's shortcomings, granting him Aljanat Firdaus, and granting his family and all of them the fortitude to bear the loss.
PUNCH Online reports that Idris died in the early hours of Sunday, September 20, 2026, in the United Kingdom at the age of 77. The cause of his death was not disclosed. Idris was a two-term governor who left a legacy in Kogi State.
Tributes have been pouring in for Idris, with many describing him as a true statesman. His death has been described as a painful loss to the people of Kogi State and Nigeria at large. The PDP has lost a pillar, and Kogi State has lost a giant, according to Gambo.
The Kogi State Government and other stakeholders are expected to pay tribute to Idris in the coming days. For now, his family and the people of Kogi State are mourning the loss of a leader who left an indelible mark on the state's development.
Key points
- - Kogi State PDP chapter expresses shock and grief over death of former Governor Ibrahim Idris - Idris served as Governor of Kogi State from 2003 to 2012 under the PDP platform - Idris died in the UK on September 20, 2026, at the age of 77
