Re: Kogi Gov Race: Echocho Stranded in PDP

But for the fact that a job had to be done, reading through Tijani Abubakar’s unnecessary ‘epistle’ entitled “Kogi Gov Race: Echocho Stranded in PDP” is to say the least, a waste of productive man hours. It was a shoddy treatise: a synopsis of the frustrations of a terribly beleaguered and humbled political camp. The deepening sense of the wholesome reality of the rising profile of Jibrin Isah Echocho appear to have badly impacted on the intellectual psyche of the writer.

The piece is eulogized as a sublime example of how not to ‘’maltreat’’ the English language. More worrisome however, are the absurdities and illogicalities our obviously, flustered writer on behalf of his bellicose sponsors in the Government House so incoherently tried to communicate.

Endure the following excepts from the write up by the very fluent Tijani Abubakar: “When a man stumble and falls wisdom demands that when he rises to move on he should first check what caused his fall to avert future re-occurrence. A man who fails to do this is deemed unwise.”

If the English could be this appalling, what would one make of the irrationality of his wretched reasoning? Please be pretentious about his curious English. 

The author or persons behind the article actually spent much space dwelling on their assumed wrong political choices of Jibrin Isah Echocho, a major stakeholder in the Kogi state PDP. From beginning to end, the writer attempted to document what he considered the political account of Jibrin Isah.

Indeed, the author of the article comes across as a person who had decided on what to write about and would not allow facts or superior logic to stand on his way of stating his personal views.

Howbeit, my two decade experience in journalism has given me some sort of comfort to commend such writers when they take out precious time to exercise their liberty on freedom of speech and where necessary, I try to flow with the understanding that what they do is highly permissible as
anyone can write how he feels about an issue in a democratic setting like Nigeria.

In the said article the writer through torrent of insults and tirade of invectives poured on Jibrin Isah Echocho, depicted him as a ‘stranded politician’ and specially tagged him a man of ‘confused decision’. My initial idea after reading the article which I consider a logical fallacy and an author’s barefaced hatred for someone was not to reply him because it will be total futility, given the writer’s mindset and mission.

However, to keep quiet on such a malicious attack which is best described as a product of defamation from an author with a lack of rigor in research and logic may not be in the best interest of the reading public. Indeed, when a writer deliberately sets out to churn out lies in order to spitefully harass someone else, the matter can no longer be treated personal or termed freedom of speech on human rights posturing but an outright deception to mislead the reading public into accepting falsehood as truth. Indeed, such is not only libelous but absolute criminality.

Despite my recognition that the writer’s aim goes beyond tarnishing the image of Jibrin Isah, however, I wish not to squander the time of readers by stating all the falsehoods the said Tijani Abubakar made against him but it is important that I defuse some of the unscrupulous attacks and prove the writer’s generalised false reasoning, perhaps these will help address bogus issues in the write up and other similar articles in future. 

Specifically, the article aside displaying a feeble attempt to breed public hatred and disrepute against Jibrin Isah, a high profile politician from Kogi State, doubtlessly reeks of intellectual sloppiness and dishonesty. The many inconsistencies, unproved and implausible remarks on Echocho especially in the section the writer dubiously classified him as a likely political prostitute is highly regrettable. I guess any objective writer should have sought a conversation with the man in question or researched a little on him to know what dummy best fits to sell to the voting public than employing a mix of misrepresentation of facts and conjectures to reach conclusions that are far from reality. To simply buttress this, after reading his article, I quickly decided to assist the writer do a little research on Jibrin Isah Echocho on the internet and my findings are very far from the writer’s assertions. For ease of reference, the following were extracted from credible sources on google search engine. 

Kogi Guber 2016: Over 7000 Set To Dump APC,PDP For ACCORD party”, 15th may 2015 Eagle Reporters.

Fmr PDP Flag Bearer In Kogi, Echocho, Shoots Down Defection Rumors, February 27, 2014 by Information Nigeria.

‘How APC de-robed PDP in Kogi’ April 22, 2015 by Boluwaji Obahopo …”Though Jubril Isah (Echocho) himself did not formally leave the PDP, his foot soldiers and party admirers did”. ‘Why Echocho may not join Kogi APC’ iNigeria inigeria.net. 

‘Kogi: Echocho pledges loyalty to PDP, debunks defection rumour’ … ww.premiumtimesng.com. 

‘Kogi guber tussle: Save me from Echocho, Governor pleads with’ … www.vanguardngr.com 24 Jun 2012 …

‘Don’t leave PDP, Kogi Governor, Wada, begs Echocho’ February 25, 2014. Premium Times.

‘5,000 PDP Supporters, Party Chiefs Dump Party For APC In Kogi’ posted by: deen4real September 16, 2014

“Audu indicated that there would be a grand reception to receive former PDP acclaimed candidate, Alhaji Jubrin Isah Echocho and about 5,000 of his supporters on September 22nd 2015.

In all the above stated references, there is nowhere it was recorded that Jibrin Isah officially decamped from the PDP as alleged by the writer.

Indeed, the very fact that the writer lacks evidence on all he stated on Echocho’s movement from one party to the other is a testament to the fact that his narrative on Jibrin Isah’s political history is a fraud.

What is perhaps most distasteful about the writer’s piece was the way he attempted to mask truth by arbitrarily accusing Echocho with falsehood. However, the obvious from my research in the public domain is that Echocho is like a beautiful bride that is being courted by many political parties. How then does this make the bride a prostitute without any record of acceding to the request of suitors?

Again, the writer’s other major allegation on Jibrin Isah regarding what he termed ‘confused decision’ cannot be made to stick. What he attempted to do was to convince readers that anywhere there is smoke, there ought to be fire. Simply put, what may even seem so apparent to an unbiased analyst is that all the political parties including the PDP in the forthcoming 2015 governorship election at one time or the other have courted Echocho. How does this translate to politics of prostitution when it is clear that the same person so accused of political vacillation, has repeatedly publicly debunked the rumour of his defection and was never recorded to have declared publicly for any other party other than the PDP.

Also, the writer’s narration that ‘the national leadership of PDP tried to persuade Echocho to abandon the cases in court and be settled but he refused’ make him a person of ‘confused decision’?.

The writer’s other claim that ’When the APC was formed, Echocho was contacted by leaders of APC in Kogi and at the national level to persuade him to join APC but was non-committal’ make him a politician of ‘confused decision’? I leave the answers to these questions for readers to figure out where objectivity and integrity lies.

Indeed, the writer’s primary focus to diminish Jibrin Isah’s growing political influence is well noted but should not have come with attacks that are slanderous. Indeed, it is not difficult for any objective observer to grasp that such views from a writer can only emerge from the pool of a slaver’s mind with no evidence to support his position. For avoidance of doubt, I’m not against the writer but against what he attempts to promote through deception.

Indeed, the purpose of the writer is well defined in the sense that to his credit, he has done the wish of his paymaster but in truth, the article exposes a hidden attempt to stifle healthy competition in Kogi PDP politics and perhaps advance another era of impunity as recorded in 2011. This is where I think that the writer is just about someone who encourages a culture of sycophancy that is embedded in greed and self interest.

Certainly, his actions cannot be in the general interest of the PDP but for self interest of some persons that are frightened by Jibrin Isah’s sustained presence in the PDP.

Nevertheless, the writer’s failure to recognise that what the Kogi people and PDP loyalists desire most is a best candidate that can deliver political goods to the citizenry is regrettable. His misguided emphasis on Jibrin Isah without even dwelling on how best his Party will win the elections against the formidable opposition, APC is sheer misplacement of priority. Instead of persuading people to build a viable PDP, he is busy encouraging a fractured PDP at the advantage of the opposition Therefore, I consider his attempt to divert attention away from the matter in question and onto a specific individual as ridiculous because attacking Jibrin Isah is not an agenda for PDP’s victory and this could have far-reaching consequences that will even further endanger PDP’s chances in the election.

The writer’s unrelenting desire to tarnish the image of Echocho before the voting public puts the PDP in a great risk. To really understand the piece by Tijani Abubakar, first one has to appreciate that there is a platform that the man is standing on.

If indeed, it is on the stand of the incumbent Governor’s quest to have another bite at the apple that the writer is advancing his illogic, then his attempt to rubbish Jibrin Isah is just a charade because Wada’s ambition is already rankling many sane Kogi minds.

What the author also failed to comprehend is that Jibrin Isah has nothing to do with Wada’s failure as incumbent Governor of Kogi State and it would be wrong for any focused Kogi PDP member to believe that the Party can continue to do the same things and expect different results especially when majority of Kogi voters have made their decision of Wada’s engagement in politics. .

Indeed, Tijani’s write up seems poisoned by his naked objective to protect another person’s ambition in the PDP against Jibrin Isah’s rumoured interest to contest for Kogi State governorship. Simply put, the paramount subject herein is whether or not the PDP has a viable option better than Jibrin Isah because what may be complex for the writer and his cohorts to bat away is the fact that Wada’s second time imposition will be the end of the PDP.

For now, the general perception of voters is that with Wada as governor, there has really been no hopeful thought for Kogi citizens on development of their state and with a mounting wave calling for Wada’s resignation, another Wada’s imposition by PDP in the forthcoming primaries will give the APC an early victory even before the elections are conducted. Whereas, Jibrin Isah Echocho as an articulate first class graduate and likeable politician, may use his stature to grant the PDP victory. For now, the popularity of Jibrin Isah remains key for PDP’s victory over the strong opposition posed by the APC.

The writer was obviously on a political witch-hunt for he only concentrated on half truths on Jibrin Isah without even remembering that Kogi state is already in the rating of near collapsed economy like every other state in Nigeria that largely depends on the centre for funding in this diminished oil revenue gloomy era. As such, in this uncertain economic period, Kogi State certainly requires a good manager of resources to bail it out from its struggling economic situation.

Wada is certainly not an option herein especially with his demonstrated poor record of financial management and alleged graft. As such, Jibrin Isah’s steadfastness in PDP should be highly commended and regarded as a blessing.

This may just be a time for the PDP to cleanse itself and compensate Jibrin Isah for the stolen mandate saga which ran against his earlier quest to be governor of Kogi State. 

Signed:

Phrank Shaibu