…Echocho is my elder brother and mentor – Gov. Bello
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Alhaji Jibrin Isa Echocho has described his former party as dead and beyond redemption.
Echocho said this while addressing a gathering of PDP defectors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Dekina on Saturday.
The former executive director of the defunct AfriBank said he dumped PDP for APC because he saw it as a dead party that has no future, and usefulness for the State and Nigeria in general.
He described the decision of the defectors to dump the “dead” PDP as commendable and urged them to be committed to the APC in order to create a synergy that could move the state and the nation forward.
He called on the leading defector, the former Kogi State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Hassan Usman Ado to perceive his move to the APC as positive, stressing that the APC is a party where equity and fairness are assured for all its members.
“There are no godfathers in APC. Internal democracy without manipulation is guaranteed in the APC,” he said.
Echocho also commended Governor Yahaya Bello, who was at the occasion to receive the over 2,500 defectors to the APC for his youths’ friendly leadership style.
“The State has never had it this good in the area of youths’ empowerment. Governor Bello has done pretty well in giving out juicy leadership positions to young people in the state.
“The most interesting thing about the youths appointed by Bello is that they are representing him well. They use their personal resources to provide infrastructures for their people. I think this gesture is a mimicry of the Governor’s leadership quality,” he said.
He urged the youths to take the advantage created for them by the Governor to drive the state to the promise land.
He promised Bello of massive votes from the east senatorial districts in 2019 gubernatorial election
In his response, Governor Bello who applauded Isah Echocho for his ability to keep his humiliation by the PDP and move on with his life, thanked the former PDP gubernatorial aspirant for having faith in his administration.
“Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho is my elder brother and mentor. What he passed through in the hands of evil politicians in PDP is enough to kill anybody. But with his strong faith, he is not shaken.
He assured Echocho that his political dream (gubernatorial) would be realised under his administration.
“I thank you for believing in me, and I will not disappoint you,” the Governor said.
