• 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.