• President: I can’t be involved in anti- party activities

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday
disowned former Minister Labaran Maku,
who claimed his support for dumping the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All
Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), saying
he cannot be involved in anti-party
activities. Maku contested for the
governorship candidature in Nasarawa
State last year, but lost
The President said he had at no time had
any discussion or encourage him to join
another party. He said in Lafia, Nasarawa
State yesterday that the PDP does not
encourage anti-party activities and he
would never flout the party’s rules and
regulations as the leader of the party,
insisting Maku was on his own.
He thanked the crowd that welcomed him
at the Lafia Township Stadium for
believing in him.
He assured that the mineral resources in
the state would be tapped amid dwindling
oil prices and in line with the
administration’s policy to diversify the
economy, adding that Nasarawa will be
one of the areas the central government
will want to work with to realise this.
He assured that the Doma dam will be
completed on record time so that they will
continue to promote dry season farming.
“What is good for you we will not wait for
you to demand before you get what is
rightly yours. We want to change the
concept that farming is for the poor but
that it is for the rich because the farmers
in America are millionaires.
Vice President Namadi Sambo said PDP is
Nasarawa and Nasarawa is PDP, while
soliciting for votes from the people of the
state.
Also disowning Maku, Senate President
David Mark, who asked the former
minister to apologise and retrace his
steps, before he could be accepted back
to the party.
He urged the people, “don’t be deceived
by any son of yours that says he has been
put in another party to run for the
governorship. Mr. President is PDP from
top to bottom”.
Mark who addressed the students from
his official car shortly before the
President’s chopper landed in school’s
compound, cited the YouWin programme,
establishment of universities under this
administration as a demonstration of
Jonathan’s commitment to youth
development.
“The emphasis that the current
administration is putting on education is in
the right direction. I know that most
people are complaining of unemployment
but the government is generating
employment through YOUWIN, youth
programmes, SURE-P, these are areas in
which government is putting a lot of
attention.
Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam
assured that the North-Central will vote
Jonathan because he has done well.
He said the state made a mistake in 2011
that was why they lost to the opposition
but the PDP is poised to get it back.
Former national chairman of PDP, Dr.
Ahmadu Ali said Maku is ungrateful,
despite using the platform of the party to
rise to stardom, he jumped the ship
because of greed and joined APGA.

Source:THE SUN NEWSPAPER