Ex-minister of Information and Communications, Mr.
Labaran Maku has said he never pointed accusing fingers at President
Goodluck Jonathan as being the sponsor of the terror group, Boko Haram.
The former minister who is also the gubernatorial candidate for the
All Progressives Grand Alliance in Nasarawa State has denied reports
that he accused the presidency of being the brain behind the social and
political unrest in the nation.
Maku made it known that the report is the work of some of the enemies of Jonathan who did this in a bid to tarnish the image of the president.
Punch reports that Maku who stated that more than 60 villages in Nasarawa State had been destroyed because of social and political unrest said the unnamed enemies of the president decided to use his name against President Jonathan because of the level of closeness and the relationship he has with Jonathan.
Maku said despite refuting the negative reports for two weeks, “the enemies of President Jonathan have continued to tell lies with a view to putting me and the President in bad light.”
Maku said, “There are desperate plans to slander the President by his opponents. About two weeks ago, I saw on the social media an image quoting me to have accused Jonathan of sponsoring Boko Haram. But my campaign organisation dismissed the report; yet they continued their mischievous fiction.
“We continued to deny it. But I was also quoted as saying that Jonathan was behind the attacks in my state. They were looking for someone who is close to the President for people to believe. The opponents of the President are doing this to pit me against him. I find this report very reprehensible, very unprofessional and mischievous.
“It is absolute desperation by enemies of the President to pull him down using my name. My position on violence in this country has been very consistent. Terror attacks have been a mix of religion and politics. Terrorism has become an international phenomenon. “Some people are using terrorism to turn the public against Jonathan and discredit him. Terrorism follows the theory of guerrilla warfare. Because terrorists do not carry uniform, they operate everywhere,”
The former Information minister also said he was campaigning for Jonathan because he considered the President’s election higher than his own and also because Jonathan was the adopted candidate of APGA.
“I come from Nasarawa State where terrorism is also serious through attacks in villages. More than 60 villages in Nasarawa State have been destroyed because of social and political reasons. I want to make it clear that at no point in my life have I linked the President with terrorism. I worked for my conscience and I cannot betray a government I served for six years. I believe in Jonathan, who has made the economy strong in the midst of war.
“Opponents have the right to attack the President but we must approach this campaign with all sense of decency as there is a limit to propaganda. We should know that there is still God in all we do. This insinuation that because I am in APGA and have turned against him is not true. He is still my candidate, despite my being in APGA. I am leading his campaign.
“Those who are doing this should remove the name of Labaran Maku. We must not take the President for granted because one day, we will remember him”, Maku said.
It would be recalled that just recently, the ex-information minister defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, a move which many think is an ignoble betrayal.
Labaran Maku
Maku made it known that the report is the work of some of the enemies of Jonathan who did this in a bid to tarnish the image of the president.
Punch reports that Maku who stated that more than 60 villages in Nasarawa State had been destroyed because of social and political unrest said the unnamed enemies of the president decided to use his name against President Jonathan because of the level of closeness and the relationship he has with Jonathan.
Maku said despite refuting the negative reports for two weeks, “the enemies of President Jonathan have continued to tell lies with a view to putting me and the President in bad light.”
Maku said, “There are desperate plans to slander the President by his opponents. About two weeks ago, I saw on the social media an image quoting me to have accused Jonathan of sponsoring Boko Haram. But my campaign organisation dismissed the report; yet they continued their mischievous fiction.
“We continued to deny it. But I was also quoted as saying that Jonathan was behind the attacks in my state. They were looking for someone who is close to the President for people to believe. The opponents of the President are doing this to pit me against him. I find this report very reprehensible, very unprofessional and mischievous.
“It is absolute desperation by enemies of the President to pull him down using my name. My position on violence in this country has been very consistent. Terror attacks have been a mix of religion and politics. Terrorism has become an international phenomenon. “Some people are using terrorism to turn the public against Jonathan and discredit him. Terrorism follows the theory of guerrilla warfare. Because terrorists do not carry uniform, they operate everywhere,”
The former Information minister also said he was campaigning for Jonathan because he considered the President’s election higher than his own and also because Jonathan was the adopted candidate of APGA.
“I come from Nasarawa State where terrorism is also serious through attacks in villages. More than 60 villages in Nasarawa State have been destroyed because of social and political reasons. I want to make it clear that at no point in my life have I linked the President with terrorism. I worked for my conscience and I cannot betray a government I served for six years. I believe in Jonathan, who has made the economy strong in the midst of war.
“Opponents have the right to attack the President but we must approach this campaign with all sense of decency as there is a limit to propaganda. We should know that there is still God in all we do. This insinuation that because I am in APGA and have turned against him is not true. He is still my candidate, despite my being in APGA. I am leading his campaign.
“Those who are doing this should remove the name of Labaran Maku. We must not take the President for granted because one day, we will remember him”, Maku said.
It would be recalled that just recently, the ex-information minister defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, a move which many think is an ignoble betrayal.
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