There are indications that the former minister of information and governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Mr Labaran Maku has struck a new deal of understanding with the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Information made available to CEOAFRICA revealed that the former minister’s renewed frienship with Governor Al-Makura is not unconnected with his possible defection to the APC if the forthcoming primary election of his party does not favour him.

It was also gathered that Mr Maku who resigned his appointment as minister of information to contest the governorship of the state has not been comfortable with the ongoing political scheming in his party, especially with the alleged moves by the Presidency to reconcile all PDP governorship aspirants in the state with a view to having a consensus candidate.

Sources revealed that the former minister’s alleged moves to join the APC were due to emerging indications that his party was beginning to sense that the minister may not lead the party to victory in the governorship election in 2015 if he is given the ticket.

Maku is said to be furious with the Presidency and national leadership of the party over the possible decision to put him off the governorship contest. This development, according to our source, is being viewed by Mr Maku as betrayal on the part of the Presidency that was said to have assured him of every necessary support in his governorship ambition.

Sources who confided in CEOAFRICA also disclosed that Mr Maku is not comfortable with the growing closeness between former governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma and his kinsman, Senator Solomon Ewuga, who are said to have struck a pact to support whoever emerges ahead of the other in the forthcoming primaries of the party since the likelihood of a run-off abounds.

But an official of the Maku Campaign Organisation who preferred to be anonymous denied the alleged move by his boss to defect to the APC, saying, “I know my boss as a loyal member of PDP and he cannot afford to leave the party he has sacrificed his energy and resources to build”.

Al-Makura’s Head Driver Assassination: Nasarawa To Review Security In Rural Communities

Meanwhile, Governor Tanko Al-Makura has stated that the state government has concluded plans to review the security situation in rural communities, following the assassination of the head driver of Nasarawa State Government House, Mr. Abdullahi Ozegy.

The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Yakubu Lamai, disclosed this to CEOAFRICA source yesterday.

According to him, the state government has concluded plans to create security bases at strategic locations in the crisis prone areas of the state so as to ensure prompt response to security breaches.

He said: “Government is highly disturbed by the incessant killing of innocent citizens who are mostly rural dwellers and has therefore concluded arrangement to deploy more security men into the rural areas in addition to mobilizing for round-the-clock surveillance to check the activities of these enemies of peace”.

The CPS also stated that an inquest into the head driver’s assassination and the killing of 39 persons would be carried out, promising that the culprits and their sponsors would be prosecuted.