Former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has categorically denied reports suggesting he plans to facilitate Governor Hyacinth Alia's defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement released on Wednesday, Maku clarified that his participation in the recent Good Governance Tour of development projects in Benue State was entirely apolitical and not aimed at political realignment.
As previously reported, Governor Alia sparked defection rumors after allegedly engaging Maku, a PDP member, into his media team—a move interpreted in political circles as a signal of possible party switching.
Good Governance Tour: A Non-Partisan Initiative
"The Good Governance Tour is a professional effort designed to shift the focus of political leaders – across all parties and at all levels – away from endless political quarrels towards the urgent need for development and service delivery, particularly to the grassroots," Maku explained in his statement.
The former minister emphasized that the concept dates back to his tenure as Minister of Information when he initiated the National Good Governance Tour as a non-partisan platform for assessing development efforts of incumbent leaders nationwide.
"Prof Jerry Gana also undertook a nationwide media tour during his time as the Minister of Information and National Orientation," he added, highlighting the precedent for such initiatives.
Focus on Development, Not Politics
Maku expressed concern about the continued lack of priority attention to governance in Nigeria's political landscape. This concern prompted him to collaborate with like-minded professionals, including Dr. Mike Omeri, former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, to revive the good governance tour.
"We have approached political leaders across party lines, requesting permission to assess and showcase their projects and policies. A number of them have responded positively. The Governor of Benue State, Rev (Dr) Hyacinth Alia happened to be the first to officially invite us to tour his state," Maku stated.
The Governance Tour of Benue was conducted transparently and broadcast across multiple media platforms, including a town hall where citizens directly engaged with the government on development and security efforts.
Let me be clear: No part of our mission to Benue State involved persuading Governor Alia to switch political parties. That narrative is absolute fiction.
Maku emphasized that their initiative is focused on promoting development and concrete service delivery rather than political scheming and power games.
The former minister noted that they have received positive feedback from citizens across Nigeria, with many urging them to bring the good governance tour to their states—underscoring the importance of their mission.
