Ibrahim Idris dies at 77 in the UK. The former Kogi governor served from 2003 to 2012 as tributes begin across the state
Former Kogi State Governor Ibrahim Idris died in London, United Kingdom, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the age of 77, prompting condolences from political leaders and a three-day mourning period declared by incumbent Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
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Idris, popularly known as “Ibro”, governed Kogi State for almost nine years between 2003 and 2012 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He remains the longest-serving civilian governor in the state’s history.
News of the former governor’s death was followed by a condolence visit to his Abuja residence by Ododo, former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Abdullahi Bello and other government officials.
The visit was disclosed by Onogwu Muhammed, Special Adviser to the Kogi governor on public relations and former Chief Press Secretary to Bello.
The circumstances surrounding Idris’s death were initially unclear. A subsequent statement reported that he died in London after a brief illness.
In a condolence message, Ododo described the death as a significant loss to Kogi State and said Idris devoted a substantial part of his life to public service.
The governor also declared three days of mourning and directed that the Nigerian and Kogi State flags be flown at half-mast across government institutions.
Idris is also to receive a state burial, with the Kogi State Government taking responsibility for the arrangements and expenses.
Idris first became governor on May 29, 2003, after defeating the incumbent, Abubakar Audu, in the governorship election.
He was re-elected in 2007, but that election was subsequently nullified following a legal challenge connected to the exclusion of Audu from the contest.
A rerun was held in March 2008, which Idris won, allowing him to return to office.
He remained governor until January 2012, when he was succeeded by Idris Wada.
His lengthy tenure made him a central figure in Kogi’s political history during the first decade of the Fourth Republic.
Before entering politics, Idris built a business career through the Ibro Trading Company, with interests that included construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality.
He later moved into partisan politics and contested the 2003 governorship election on the PDP platform.
His political career was also marked by a dramatic legal battle over his tenure.
After his 2007 election was annulled, he temporarily left office before returning following the 2008 rerun. The episode became one of the defining moments of his time in government.
Following news of his death, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, joined those mourning the former governor and described him as an important figure in the political history of Kogi State and the PDP.
The condolences have come from across the state’s political divide as attention turns to funeral arrangements.
The family has said details of the funeral rites will be communicated in accordance with Islamic traditions once Idris’s remains arrive in Nigeria.
For Kogi, the death marks the passing of a former governor whose political career spanned a formative period in the state’s democratic history.
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His nearly nine years in office, including the interruption caused by the 2007 election dispute, left him with one of the longest political footprints among the state’s elected governors.
