Former Minister of Information Labaran Maku, has said his return to the People’s Democratic Party has given the Nasarawa State Chapter a new lease of life as it gathers momentum to take over the state in the 2023 general elections.
Maku made this remark at the headquarters of the PDP in Abuja on Saturday when he submitted his Governorship Nomination Form and Expression of Interest Form to vie for the governorship of Nasarawa State in 2023.
“There is absolutely no doubt that PDP is back to life in Nasarawa State and PDP now is gathering the momentum by the grace of God come 2023 to return to power in Nasarawa State.
“As I speak to you, a lot of movement is going on in Nasarawa State and a lot of people are returning to the party once it was confirmed that I am back to this party. I have no doubt that there is absolutely no way that the PDP will not get back power in Nasarawa State in 2023.
“I am back to this party because it’s a broader platform, It’s a bigger platform and a national platform. So I’m back first of all to continue to serve the party and contribute my quota to the progress and victory of the PDP at all levels. As I returned to this party, Nasarawa State is turning 360 degrees towards the PDP,” he said.
Maku recalled that as a leader of the party between 2011 and 2015, the PDP had up to 20 members in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly and two Senators in the National Assembly with many members in the House of Representatives.
Maku, who was also a former Supervising Minister of Defence under the Goodluck Jonathan Administration, said the PDP laid the foundation for the development of Nasarawa State, stressing that 99% of the progress recorded in the state since its creation could be attributed to the PDP
He however said since the party left power in 2011, the progress march of the state was interrupted due to bad governance and mismanagement of resources.
“Since PDP left, the state derailed completely. A peaceful state descended into violence and insecurity because of high level of mismanagement of resources and opportunities,” he stated.
He said ironically Nasarawa, which is one of the rich states in terms of mineral resources, its citizens are the poorest in the country, a development, which propelled him to begin the movement for the restoration and rescue to the state from the clutches of bad governance.
“The most important need for Nasarawa State right now is the restoration of the institutions of governance that had been run down. When you see a state in crisis of security, poverty, malfunctioning institutions, what it tells you is that the institutions of governance are down.
“Our state is in need of restoration and rescue because the state has slid. The civil service is down; every institution of government is down. Workers’ salaries are hardly paid and nobody talks of paying pension in Nasarawa State in recent times,” he stated.
He said his key programme when elected governor will be to work with leaders across all levels to organize the citizens of Nasarawa State to pursue the common course of unity, peace and security.
He added that the restoration of the institutions of governance from the state to the local government level, utilizing the proximity of Nasarawa to the FCT to develop satellite cities, engineering agriculture to develop cottage industries, which will create jobs, repositioning the civil service, among other laudable programmes will be pursued vigorously by his administration when elected.
Maku was a former Commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State between 2003 and 2007 as well as Minister of Information and Communication and Supervising Minister of Defence under the Goodluck Administration.
He was conferred with the National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Jonathan in 2014.
Maku was accompanied to the PDP Secretariat by an elder statesman in Nasarawa State, Senator Isa Aliyu Ndako; Alhaji Kawu Wazirin Keffi; former Federal Commissioner National Population Commission, Alhaji Zakari Kigbu; former two term Chairman of Karu Local Government, Mr. Andrew Bahago; former Chairman of Nasarawa Eggon Local Government, Mr. Clement Anduwa among other party big wigs and supporters.
