Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
I used to think that Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho was an intelligent politician but tonight’s demystification shows the opposite.
On 30th June, 2015 you published my article on your well respected and authoritative news portal, ‘Kogi Gov Race: Echocho Stranded in PDP – Tijani Abubakar’, kindly link this title to the said article. In the article I highlighted the main attribute that has been Echocho’s Achilles’ Heels, CONFUSED DECISIONS.
His main and sincere supporters had all left Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for All Progressives Congress, APC, and today, they are all doing fine in their new abode. His erstwhile running mate, Asiwaju Clarence Olafemi Obembe is now a Board of Trustee member in APC, Hon Benjamin Ikani Okolo is now in House of Representatives, Hon. Hassan Baiwa (who bought and branded over 10 cars for Echocho’s campaign in 2011) in now a member of Kogi House of Assembly, Hon Abdullahi Bello is now in the Federal House of Representatives. All these lucky and smart thinking guys are enjoying APC to the fullest at the moment. Why did Echocho decide to remain in PDP? Today, my prophecy has been fulfilled – ECHOCHO IS FINALLY STRANDED IN PDP!!
Echocho, we learnt, was prodded on to contest my Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West rejectee), Chief Jide Omokore (Yagba rejectee) and former governor Ibrahim Idris. Curiously, these political magicians did not show up at today’s PDP primary in Lokoja even when we learnt they were in town. Hmmmm, Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Read Also: ‘Kogi Gov Race: Echocho Stranded in PDP – Tijani Abubakar’
I thought Echocho would have been wise enough to play up the same stunt he played in September 2011 by evading the primaries, call for a press conference and announce his non-participation for cooked-up reasons. After this huge defeat, he has only successfully reduced his image to where it rightfully belongs.
His hired media mercenaries and spin doctors cooked up series of lies that he was ‘the candidate to beat’, that ‘Wada has stepped down for Echocho’, that Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari, Obama, Jacob Zuma and even angels are in support of Echocho. They only succeeded in making him a national symbol of shame, a paper-weight politician!
I have reviewed the results of the PDP primaries and I saw that he put up a good fight in Omala, Ibro’s LGA; Yagba East, Omokore’s LGA; Ijumu, Smart Adeyemi’s LGA and won Yagba West where Omokore also holds sway. This is the best his god-fathers can do for him. Na wah ooo! He relied heavily on super rich but empty politicians who are no longer in charge.
What next for the stranded Echocho? I learnt he stormed out of the stadium before the end of the ballot counting. He must have rushed to Abuja to meet his god-fathers. Wait, I heard Smart and Ibro left him all alone in Lokoja to bear the shame. The cunny duo rushed out of town after pushing him inside the pit. Hmmmm, Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
Well, all hope is not lost. Tomorrow is the deadline for submission of names of candidates by political parties. I will not be surprised to see Echocho picking the ticket of another party where he will be stranded again.
– Tijani Abubakar writes from Lokoja
