The Campaign Organisation of former minister of information, Labaran
Maku, says its attention has been drawn to repeated accusations by some
leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who continuously portray
the governorship candidate of the All Progress Grand Alliance (APGA),
Mr. Labaran Maku as an ingrate for dumping the PDP to pursue his
ambition in APGA.
A statement on Wednesday signed by Zakari Edego, Director Publicity,
Maku Campaign Organisation observed that the accusations have amounted
to blackmailing President Goodluck Jonathan of allegedly sponsoring Mr.
Maku to contest the governorship of Nasarawa State on the platform of
APGA.
Last week at the PDP rally in Keffi to flag off the campaign of Alhaji
Yusuf Agabi, the Senate President, David Mark, accused Mr. Maku of being
ungrateful because he left the PDP to emerge as the governorship
candidate of APGA in Nasarawa State.
On Tuesday, 27th January, 2015, various speakers at the presidential campaign in Lafia repeated the same accusations.
Maku said while he has high respect for Senator Mark and Dr. Ahmadu Ali
and wishes not to join issues with them, he finds it especially curious
that Senator Mark has remained mute over the defection in his own native
Benue State of Former Minister of State for Trade and Investment Dr.
Sam Ortom and former PDP National Chairman Senator Barnabas Gemade who
have gone all the way to the opposition APC to contest for the
governorship and senatorial positions respectively.
“Why has Senator Mark not condemned these defections from his native
Benue state? Why the undue attention on Mr. Maku and Nasarawa State?” it
quipped.
“The import of these attacks on the APGA governorship candidate clearly
shows that there is panic in the PDP in Nasarawa State following the
emergence of Mr. Maku as the Flag bearer of APGA.
“The truth of the matter is that Mr. Maku never told anyone even while
contesting for the governorship ticket in the PDP that the president was
behind him, neither did he suggest to anyone when he decamped to APGA
that President Jonathan supported his decision.
“The PDP primaries was marred by irregularities including the change of
delegates’ list and the manipulation of religion to impose Alhaji Yusuf
Agabi as candidate. Some delegates’ lives were openly threatened at the
ill-fated PDP primaries at Nasarawa town if they ever voted for Mr.
Maku.
“Before Mr. Maku left the PDP, he followed the due process to seek
redress over the highly bungled governorship primaries including
petitioning the PDP Governorship Primaries Appeal Panel under the
chairmanship of the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu on the
irregularities and other anti-democratic activities that led to the
imposition of Alhaji Yusuf Agabi as the candidate of the PDP.
“However, the Appeal Panel neither acknowledged nor invited Mr. Maku to
defend the appeal he filed against the conduct of the governorship
primary election.
“Since loyalty is crucial in party politics, why was Mr. Maku, a loyal
party member and leader of the party in Nasarawa state for four years
schemed out of the PDP primaries on the basis of religion?
“Another pertinent question to ask is why scheme out a loyal party
member who stood by the party and defended its policies and programmes
at the state and national level for many years only to turn around to
use his loyalty against him?
“The real issue in Nasarawa state is that some people within and outside
the state believe that no Christian should ever be governor of Nasarawa
state. Therefore, Mr. Maku is being persecuted purely for religious
reasons.
“The attacks on him are orchestrated to sustain the status quo in
Nasarawa, which is already leading to destruction of the state by
insurgents and mercenaries. This development portends danger to the
future unity and development of Nasarawa state and our dear country.
“Mr. Maku’ s well considered decision to leave PDP for APGA was actually
intended to bring out the real hidden issues that have continued to
undermine the unity and development of Nasarawa State.
“In doing so, he is fully aware that he will be blackmailed and maligned
because he ever dared to challenge the status quo by those who want a
divided state.
“It is equally curious how some of the PDP chieftains openly expressed
their anger because Mr. Maku is campaigning for the president in
Nasarawa State even though his new party, the APGA, has adopted Mr.
President as its own presidential candidate because of his sterling
leadership qualities and many achievements in office.
“The Maku Campaign Organisation views the sustained attack against the
APGA candidate as a desperate measure by some leaders of the PDP to
distract him from campaigning to defeat their candidate and the
incumbent in the upcoming governorship elections as Mr. Maku is
experienced enough in politics to know there is no way a sitting
president will support him in an opposition party against his own
party.”
Maku’s campaign team urges its teeming supporters to disregard all
insinuations and threats and sustain the tempo of the campaign for Mr.
Labaran Maku and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to emerge as President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria and governor of Nasarawa State in this
year’s general elections.
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