Maku blames his attack on growing popularity

  The Tuesday violent attack on the convoy of former information minister, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Labaran Maku was an attack against popularity, the candidate has said. Maku’s convoy was attacked in Kwandere on the outskirts of Lafia, when it rode through the town to link other outskirts […]

 

The Tuesday violent attack on the convoy of former information minister, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Labaran Maku was an attack against popularity, the candidate has said.

Maku’s convoy was attacked in Kwandere on the outskirts of Lafia, when it rode through the town to link other outskirts on his campaign rally. Six persons were injured, and 16 vehicles smashed by armed thugs who brandished machetes and sticks. Maku was unhurt.

Maku called on security agencies to arrest the perpetrators. He told newsmen in Akwanga that the perpetrators and their sponsors were angry because of the rising popularity of APGA in state.

“What happened in Kwandere is clearly a demonstration of the fact that some miscreants, most probably APC supporters, seeing such a large convoy of vehicles passing by the town of the governor were simply upset.  They could not believe what they were seeing and so like hooligans in the stadium, they started throwing stones. We are calling on security forces to arrest them,” he said.

Maku said he did not believe the attack was organized because even some elders in the town voiced their anger against the youths who were in the state of anxiety and confusion.

He stated that naturally some people would be uncomfortable because in less than one month, APGA had grown into the biggest political party in the state.

He exonerated Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who hails from Kwandere, from the attack.

“This incident was minor and it was done by APC miscreants. Because they were operating from the town of the governor, it will naturally attract attention but I do not believe that the governor was behind it. I saw it mainly as hooligans misbehaving because their team was losing out,” he stated.