Former Information Minister Mr. Labaran Maku has assured his teeming supporters in Nasarawa State that his governorship ambition in 2015 is still alive despite what he described as the machinations that denied him the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party in the December 8 primary elections. He made the remarks at his country home in Wakama while addressing people at a carnival to mark this year’s Christmas and Boxing Day.
Maku also gave the PDP in Nasarawa State one week ultimatum within which to address the anomalies that characterized the primary election or else his supporters would chart a new course for their political future.
“In the next one week by the grace of God, if PDP continues to force terrible leaders on the state through the imposition of people as candidates, particularly for the office of governor by stealing delegates and threatening people and creating confusion, they must understand that when one way closes ….”, he said.
He decried the situation whereby a group of people was using the state PDP machinery to impose their preferred choice as candidates of the party against the popular wish of the people.
Mr. Maku appealed to the youths to remain calm and confident as their struggle to return Nasarawa State to the path of peace, progress and sustainable development would be realized. “After the fiasco in Nasarawa, I am appealing to the youths to remain calm and confident. The time has come to reject bad leaders because if you do not reject bad leaders, there will be no progress. The project for the salvation of Nasarawa State, the project for the rescue of Nasarawa State, the project for the restoration of Nasarawa State, that project is alive,” he stated.
Mr. Maku said he was compelled to reject the result of the PDP primaries in Nasarawa State because the irregularities that marred the election were unprecedented in the history of the state and cited the sudden change of delegates’ list and complaints from delegates who were physically threatened and cajoled to vote for a particular candidate or risk losing their lives and properties.
He threatened that if a clique continued to use the party machinery to block good leaders from emerging as candidates, they would circumvent the party and offer themselves to the electorate since the party had become the albatross of good leadership in Nasarawa State.
Speaking on the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, the former Information Minister said Dr. Jonathan was the president of the future because of his vision, physical agility, stamina and mental capacity to transform and consolidate democracy in the nation.
Mr. Maku called on Nigerians to reject the recycling of dictators masquerading as democrats to guarantee the future of democracy in the country.
He said the people of Nasarawa State had resolved to pitch their tent with President Jonathan to reciprocate the goodwill he had shown to the state in the provision of infrastructure and human capital development.
Mr. Maku maintained that there was a correlation between age and performance and said President Jonathan was in his prime to offer selfish service for the development of the nation.
He said despite the challenge of insecurity, Nigeria emerged as the largest economy in Africa under the leadership of President Jonathan. He mentioned the establishment of 13 universities, construction of 62 roads, reform in agriculture, youth empowerment, revival of the railways and introduction of the standard gauge rail-line, revolution in Almajiri education, and the promotion of free and fair elections as some of the salient achievements of the Jonathan administration.
He was hopeful that by 2019 when power would eventually rotate to the north, the youths would be in the saddle to consolidate on the modernization of the Nigerian economy.
