- Gov Ododo, Sen Natasha, others mourn
A former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has died at the age of 77.
Idris reportedly died in the United Kingdom on Sunday, September 20, 2026, with news of his death prompting visits by political leaders and senior government officials to his Abuja residence.
Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abdullahi Bello; and other senior government officials visited the residence to condole with the family.
Onogwu Muhammed, Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Public Relations and Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bello, disclosed the visit in a Facebook post on Sunday, accompanied by photographs of Ododo and Bello at the residence.
“Kogi State governor, His Excellency Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello, CON; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi Bello; and other top government officials have arrived at the Abuja residence of the late former Governor Ibrahim Idris, who passed away this afternoon”, he wrote.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, mourned the former governor, describing him as a significant figure in the political history of Kogi State and the PDP.
The circumstances surrounding the former governor’s death were not immediately clear.
Born in 1949, Idris was a businessman before venturing fully into partisan politics. He established the Ibro Trading Company and was involved in business interests spanning construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality.
His political career eventually took him to the centre of Kogi State politics, where he emerged as one of the leading figures of the PDP.
Idris became governor of Kogi State in May 2003 after winning the governorship election on the platform of the PDP. He succeeded Prince Abubakar Audu and remained in office after the 2007 governorship election, although the outcome of that election became the subject of prolonged legal proceedings.
Following a court ruling nullifying the 2007 election, a fresh governorship election was conducted in 2008, which Idris won, enabling him to continue in office.
He eventually completed his tenure in January 2012 and was succeeded by Captain Idris Wada. His nearly nine-year tenure made him one of the longest-serving elected governors in the history of Kogi State.
- Media Report