Former Mnister of Information, Labaran Maku, has said that he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because he felt cheated and abandoned following the 2015 primaries in Nasarawa State.
However, he has rejoined the main opposition party and has already obtained its expression of interest and nomination forms for the race to be its flagbearer in next year’s gubernatorial election.
Speaking to correspondents at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja at the weekend, he said his exit from the PDP in Nasarawa where he previously served as deputy governor, had affected its fortunes.
Maku, who contested the governorship seat of the state under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on two occasions, said he was prevailed upon to return to the PDP by party stakeholders, noting that his return has rejuvenated the state chapter of the party.
According to him, since the PDP was ousted in Nasarawa State, every trace of significant development achieved under the party has disappeared despite its rich endowment in natural resources.
He said if given the chance to govern the state, he will refocus governance, bring experience back to office to engender development.
The former federal government spokesman stated: “I must say that I am back here today, first of all to let all Nigerians know I am back to the PDP.
“In 2015, I was the sitting minister, I was also the one that held forth for PDP in Nasarawa between 2011 when the party led the governorship, and in 2015 I was virtually the governor, I held the party together, the party was strong, the party had 20 members in the house of assembly, we had 2 senators and majority in the house of representatives.
“Unfortunately, things happened in our party in many places. When we vied for the governorship in 2015, some tricks took place, and I believe, I wouldn’t say I am the one sabotaged but I think the party was sabotaged such that the PDP will not win the governorship election.
“So, they brought someone that is clearly not the choice of the people due to manipulations. I then wrote to this party to look into my case, nobody even replied to my protest, there was not even a reply to call me to say that, look sorry, we have seen your protest about the way the primaries were held and manipulations that took place. They didn’t even respond.
“So, at that stage I had to test my ground to see whether it was lack of popularity or acceptance by the people. So, I went to APGA as we all know and I contested the election under the platform of APGA in 2015 and defeated Tanko Amakura roundly. Everybody knows I defeated him completely in 10 out of 13 local governments.
“We were just waiting for the results to be announced when they brought a different result and announced to the nation and I pursued that up to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, justice was not served but I accepted my fate.
“In 2019 again, I contested under APGA in Nasarawa State as you know and everybody knows the result. APGA really won that election but it was manipulated to stop me from fighting.
“Why did this take place? Because majority of the stakeholders were in PDP. So, I was like alone in APGA. So, each time I won they will seize my results because there were no strong stakeholders at the grassroots to defend the results.
“And since then, there has been lots of appeals by my founding party, the PDP, for me to return to the party. A lot of efforts and conversations took place.
“It was clear in my state that my absence in PDP really reduced the functions of the party and since I left, the party lost the grounds we were holding and after a lot of considerations and conversations led by the state working committee and my friends and associates all over Nigeria, I returned to the PDP.
“So, I am back home in PDP, not because APGA is bad, APGA offered me the opportunity to continue our struggles, but I am back to this party, it is a broader platform, it is a bigger platform, it is a national platform.
“So, I am back, first of all to continue to serve the party, to contribute my quota to the progress and victory of PDP at all levels and as you know me, once I am in a process, I give it all the push, I give it all the fire, I give it all the efforts that God has given me.
“And as I return to this party, Nasarawa State is turning 360 degrees towards PDP because everybody knows that in Nasarawa State, PDP is the actual party now on ground that I have come back, with some of my supporters are coming back into this party, there is absolutely no doubt that PDP is back alive in Nasarawa State, PDP now is gathering the momentum. By the grace of God, come 2023,PDP will return to power in Nasarawa state.
“As I speak to you, a lot of movement is going on in Nasarawa State, a lot of people are returning to the party, once it is confirmed that I am back in this party, a lot of the movement I led are back into PDP and I have absolutely no doubt at all, there is absolutely no way PDP will not take back power in Nasarawa state in 2023.”
On the impact of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State, the former minister said: “First of all, virtually anything you can trace to Nasarawa state that is reasonable has been done by the PDP.
“When I was in Lafia last week, the leader asked me, I said well, I don’t need to tell anybody. You know that in Nasarawa State today, virtually 99% of any progress made in Nasarawa state between 1999 and now, it is PDP projects, it is PDP initiative, PDP programmes of development and I have been part of this democracy. So, I am in the position to really say exactly what PDP has done in Nasarawa state.
“And since PDP left, the state derailed completely, Nasarawa State derailed, a peaceful state descended into violence, insecurity because of high level mismanagement of resources and opportunities that would have projected Nasarawa State forward.
“Our state is rich in resources, one of the richest states in this country today and unfortunately now the poorest. Can you see the contradiction of the richest person being the poorest person because of lack of initiative and wisdom and capacity to harness what we have?
“This state has, three quarter of the boundary its with the FCT. Even to harness that proximity in terms of land resources, developing alternative cities, planning that environment to create alternative cities for people in Abuja, rather that precious land, space has been developed into slums because nobody has cared to really plan and develop that area.
“So, our state is definitely in need of restoration, of rescuee. We are in need of rescue. The state has slided, the civil service is down, every institution of government is down, workers’ salaries are hardly paid, nobody talks of paying pension in Nasarawa state in recent times and people are dying when they leave office.
“Really, we need to bring back the state, unite the state across board, bring unity back to our people, bring peace back to our people, reorder the institutions of government to bring about development in the state and bring the experience back to governance because what we have had is that people who are least prepared for governance have been placed with the responsibility that is beyond them.”
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