Senator representing Kogi East, Jibrin Isah Echocho, has endorsed the presidential apiration of Governor Yahaya Bello.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State Government House, Lokoja on Thursday, Echocho appealed to the party to support the current Deputy Governor, Chief Edward David Onoja, to succeed Bello as Governor of the state.
He said Onoja has paid his due, stressing that “one good turn deserve another.”
Echocho, who spoke on behalf of the senators from the state, said Bello ticked all the right boxes for the national assignment and deserve to take a shot at the presidency.
He said they have watched Governor Bello’s achievements and style of governance, and have come to the conclusion that he deserve to be the next president of Nigeria.
Echocho explained that the absence of his colleagues from the West and Central senatorial districts, Smart Adeyemi and Yakubu Oseni respectively, was due to traffic jam along Lokoja – Abuja highway.
He called on the people of Kogi state to rally round Bello to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
The State APC stakeholders meeting held to deliberate on the ongoing registration/revalidation exercise for the party.
The statement made by Echocho on 2023 Governorship, however, elicited reactions from stakeholders from the Western and Central Senatorial axis who felt the senator has derailed from the main point.
Those who spoke after the meeting expressed disappointment, that the deliberation, which should have centered on galvanizing supports towards a successful party registration exercise which could help the governor’s Presidential ambition is taking a new ethnic dimension.
“I don’t think it is right to be discussing this kind of issue now. The east has governed the state for 16 years with the central just carrying out their second term, while the west has not even taking a single shot.,” One of the stakeholders reacted after the meeting.
The stakeholder stressed, “Suffice to say that the senator’s statement is a distraction to the main issue of galvanizing the state supports for the governor presidential ambition. It is quite disappointing that someone of such standing, or anybody for that matter could be harbouring such thoughts.”
