Mr. Labaran Maku, former Minister of Information and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nasarawa State, has said that he is being persecuted purely for religious reasons because some people within and outside the state believe that no Christian should ever be governor of the state.
Maku’s campaign team, in a statement issued yesterday, by the Director Publicity, Zakari Edego said “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, 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.
“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 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 statement added “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 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.
“We therefore urge our teeming supporters to disregard all insinuations and threats and sustain the tempo of the campaign for Maku and Jonathan to emerge as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and governor of Nasarawa State in this year’s general election.”