Kinsman of Governor Idris Wada of Kogi state, in the person of Alhaji Jubrin Isah Echocho is believed to be fighting tooth and nail to defeat the incumbent in the Monday primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November governorship election in the state.
Information reaching us indicates that the camp of Echocho is swelling by the day even as governor Wada battles to win more support from mostly his kinsmen who appear to be disenchanted with his lack luster performance in his four-year in office.
It was learnt that political leaders from his East senatorial zone of the state have concluded that the governor has lost what they called ‘electoral value’ and are shopping for his replacement in the next dispensation.
According to sources, most of the support base which Governor Wada is counting on for second term has been eroded with leaders and stakeholders like former Governor, Ibrahim Idris, Billionaire businessman, Chief Jide Omokore, Chief Tunde Ayeni, Senator Smart Adeyemi and a host of others, turning their back on him.
It was gathered that former Governor Ibrahim Idris has also turned his back on Wada because of what he termed Wada’s affront in terminating a contract he gave to his son, Sule Idris. The former governor is said to be angry that the contract for the building of a specialist diagnostic centre in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, given to his son, was revoked.
Also, the former governor was said to have accused Wada of failing to liquidate the balance of the N4 billion he spent on his election.
The decision of Idris to back out of the second term ambition of the governor is said to be a major source of worry because Wada is said not to have any political structure of his own but only relying on that of the former governor.
It was learnt that the former governor had enlisted the support of Senator Smart Adeyemi, Tunde Ayeni and Jide Omokore, who are said to be ready to break the bank for Echocho to defeat Wada at the primaries.
The source, who is a delegate to the primaries, however said the only way the governor can avoid a defeat is for him to step down from the primaries, adding that the caliber of delegates the party is parading for the primaries are not hungry people who can be swayed by some thousands of naira.
“The truth is that we have delegates who are not hungry people or those looking for a few thousands to make them vote for a particular aspirant. Things are different this time around. No aspirant can buy our conscience; we are poised to do what is best for the party and the state.”
The source also disclosed that most of them, who are delegates, only pretend to be working for the governor because they have to be politically correct. He said they are actually all queuing behind Alhaji Echocho, who they believe can stand Abubakar Audu of the APC and defeat him.
Reacting to the pressure put on Wada to step down, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Jacob Edi, said that the governor is on course with his ambition and that nothing has or can derail him.
“The governor is not under pressure at all; he is on course and will win the primaries any day it is conducted. He is not perturbed or moved by any of the propaganda making the rounds. He is focused on the task ahead,” Edi said. [myad]
