Our attention has been drawn to a sponsored article planted in the February 28th edition of The Nation Newspaper, page 32 alleging that the former Minister of Information and National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), His Excellency, LabaranMaku, CON plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress(APC). The report went as far as conjuring stories of imaginary meetings between Maku and the National leadership of APC.
Our feelers from the government house in Lafia, reliably informed us that the story was cooked up with the consent of Gov. Tanko Al Makura, whose administration suffered widespread rejection by the people of Nasarawa state at the April 15th Governorship election in the state. Mr.Maku, who contested the election under the All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), defeated Al Makura of the APC by a wide margin, but results were fraudulently upturned in a conspiracy involving forces within and outside Nasarawa state, who prevailed on INEC, to announce Al Makura as winner.
Mr.Maku challenged this electoral fraud up to the Supreme Court, but in spite of overwhelming evidence including testimonies by Al Makura’s witnesses that Maku was the winner, the same forces thwarted justice in favour of the highly unpopular Al Makura-led government. Since the imposition of Al Makura by INEC and the Supreme Court on the people of Nasarawa State, the state has been in total paralysis due to widespread strikes and work stoppages by workers protesting unpaid wages, and the widespread public discontent against the administration. The level of public anger against Gov. Al Makura is so high that the governor has resorted to travelling by helicopter in recent times to avoid irate youths who pelt his convoy with stones wherever he goes in the state. The prevailing situation in the state has made Mr.Maku’s party, the APGA, so popular among the people, a development that frightens the Al Makura administration about the future prospects of the APC in Nasarawa State.
For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state unequivocally that Mr Maku nurses NO intention to defect from the popular party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Neither has he entered into any discussion with the APC or any other political party in Nigeria to that effect. This story was planted by Gov. Al Makura’s APC administration to weaken the resolve of the people of Nassarawa State who have passionately embraced APGA for their redemption.
Since the dreams of Nasarawa people for a progressive government was cut short through the electoral theft committed by Gov. Al Makura and his collaborators. Mr.Maku has continued to press for the interest of the people of Nasarawa through building APGA into a stronger and viable opposition in the state and nationally, and by drawing attention to the many cases of poor governance perpetuated on hapless Nasarawa people.
It is on that note that Mr Maku has repeatedly called for the planned airport project scam designed to loot the state of billions of Naira to be stopped forthwith. All enquiries by APGA in Nasarawa showed that the ill-fated Airport, whose actual cost is about N5B has been inflated to N17B in collaboration with alleged Chinese investors to defraud Nasarawa State. The Airport is not only unviable but it is a gross misplacement of the priorities of the people of Nasarawa who lack basic amenities like water supply, Urban/Rural road infrastructure, educational facilities and access to power supply. Agriculture which is the mainstay of the economy is completely neglected by the Al Makura APC regime. We urge the state government to invest the N17B earmarked for this unviable airport in meeting the basic needs and development aspirations of the impoverished majority of the people of the state.
Going by the tone of the article which stated that, ‘… Gov. TankoAlmakura is aware of Maku’s moves and is reportedly disposed to it’, it is clear that Gov Al Makura knows he is clutching unto on a stolen mandate and would therefore stop at nothing to distract APGA supporters in their resolve to project APGA as the only credible and viable alternative to terminate the violent, corrupt and insensitive administration of Tanko Al Makura in the State.
APGA seriously frowns at a situation where so much energy is expended by the Al Makura administration on pushing fabricated tales and propaganda while salaries remain unpaid for months, infrastructure is ignored and the state’s treasury is looted through highly inflated white elephant projects.
Finally, we wish to remind Gov. Almakura that he is sitting on a stolen mandate and that in due course, the will of God and the resolve of the people for peace and good governance shall prevail.
Thank you.
Signed:
Emmanuel Yaro,
Secretary, APGA
Nassarawa State.
