Heavyweights in the All Progressives Congress (APC) across Kogi East and the Igala Vanguard have called on Governor Usman Ododo and former Governor Yahaya Bello to throw their weight behind Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho for another term.
They insist his return to the Senate would reward solid work while giving the region a real edge on development.
In a statement signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed for the APC Kogi East Critical Stakeholders, the group made clear that Echocho’s record marks him as the party’s strongest option.
Fresh changes to Senate rules on seniority put him first in line for a leadership post if voters send him back. That, they say, would channel more tangible benefits to Kogi East.
“Senator Echocho represents an easy electoral victory for the APC,” Mohammed said. “His achievements are visible in every local government area, spanning education, healthcare, and community empowerment. He has distributed numerous school buses, built and renovated classrooms, provided potable water, and facilitated capacity-building programs for women and young graduates.”
The stakeholders spelled out his impact in the National Assembly too.
“He drove the push for a Federal Medical Centre in Idah. An Orthopedic Hospital bill he sponsored now sits with the president awaiting assent. He also lined up alternative funding for the Lokoja-Shintaku bridge and kept pressure on road projects in Anyigba, Dekina, Oguma, and Gboloko.”
The statement argued for keeping the current team.
“To build on this momentum, we need an experienced hand. There is no need to change a winning team. A strong Echocho showing would also make it easier for the party to deliver Governor Ododo’s second term,” the statement added.
Separately, the Igala Vanguard brushed off a statement from a group calling itself the Kogi East Elders Forum that had come out against Echocho’s return.
Convener, Engr. Lawrence Akpa, labelled the forum a faceless outfit cooked up by mischief makers bent on stalling the senator’s progress. He claimed the name “Simon Ocheje” attached to the statement is fake.
“We call on the leadership of our great party and the general public to ignore this non-existent group. There is no such person as Simon Ocheje known in the political or traditional circles of Igala land,” Akpa said.
The Igala Vanguard passed a vote of confidence on Senator Echocho. They told him to stay on his legislative work and ignore the noise from political opponents.
The group reiterated that with the current Senate standing rules favoring returning members, Kogi East stands to gain significantly from Echocho’s seniority and experience.
