Denying Defection Rumors: Labaran Maku Clarifies Role in Governor Alia's Media Team
Maku Denies Encouraging Alia to Change Political Affiliation
Hey there! Let's chat about a recent stir caused by a former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, and Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State.
Rumors began to swirl after Governor Alia added Maku, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to his media team. Many speculated that this move might signal an impending defection of the governor from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP.
However, Maku swiftly quashed these claims on Wednesday. He described his participation in the Good Governance Tour of development projects in Benue State as completely apolitical, insisting that the visit did not involve persuading the governor to switch to the PDP.
In his statement, Maku explained that the Good Governance Tour is a professional endeavor aimed at moving political leaders away from endless quarrels towards the need for development and service delivery, especially to the grassroots. He clarified that this concept is not new, having initiated the National Good Governance Tour during his time as Minister of Information as a non-partisan platform for evaluating and showcasing the development efforts of incumbent leaders across the country.
According to Maku, they have approached political leaders across party lines, requesting permission to assess and showcase their projects and policies. He emphasized that their mission to Benue State did not involve persuading Governor Alia to change parties.
It's worth mentioning that Governor Alia has been in the midst of internal crises within the APC in Benue, with reports of negotiations for his integration into a new party circulating, but without specifying the specific party as the PDP[1]. Tensions have also arisen between Alia and key APC stakeholders in Benue, such as Senator George Akume[1]. Nevertheless, Maku's denial of any role in facilitating a defection to the PDP puts those rumors to rest, at least for now.
Sources:1. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/04/labaran-maku-denies-plans-to-facilitate-gover … (Maku's statement)2. https://dailypost.ng/2023/04/17/benue-apc-crises-deepens-as-governor-alia-hunkers … (Reports of negotiations and internal crises)3. https://www.thecable.ng/politics/lapaliberty/2023/04/19/leakage-senator-george-akume-insulted-benue-governor-hyacinth-alia-report/ (Tension between Alia and APC stakeholders)
- Despite speculations about a potential defection of Governor Hyacinth Alia to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Minister of Information Labaran Maku clarified that his participation in Governor Alia's media team is apolitical and not intended to persuade the governor to switch parties.
- In a statement, Maku emphasized that the Good Governance Tour, aimed at promoting development and service delivery, has approached political leaders across parties, including the APC and PDP, with a non-partisan focus on evaluating and showcasing their development efforts.
- The recent visit to Benue State was part of this tour, and according to Maku, it did not involve any discussions regarding policy-and-legislation, politics, or general news related to a possible change in parties by Governor Alia.
