by Laila Ibrahim

There are indications that several ministers in President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet may soon leave to pursue their political ambitions.

This is following an announcement made by the Minister of  Information, Labaran Maku, on his intention to vie for the governorship position in his native Nasarawa State.

He said he will resign from his position as minister on October 20th to pursue his 2015 gubernatorial ambition in Nasarawa State. This was at a special thanksgiving mass at the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, St. Patrick’s Parish, Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

Other cabinet ministers with gubernatorial ambitions that may resign alongside Maku‎ are  Senator Bala Mohammed (Federal Capital Territory), Mr. Labaran Maku (Information), Chief Emeka Wogu (Labour), Mr. Nyesom Wike (State, Education), Dr. Samuel Ortom (State, Trade, Industry and Investment) and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (State, Defence), and Special Duties, Kabir Tanimu Turaki.

While Mohammed seeks to take over from Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State; Maku intends to replace Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nassarawa State and therefore win the state currently being ruled by the All Progressives Congress to the PDP while Wogu nurses the ambition of succeeding Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.

Wike has never hidden his desire to take over from Governor Rotimi Amaechi; Ortom has his eyes on the seat to be vacated by Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State while Obanikoro also plans to take over Lagos State from Governor Babatunde Fashola and the APC.

He said it was time to sacrifice the comfort of a ministerial position at the center to join his people and go into the wilderness ‎in Nasarawa State to stop the killings, miscarriage of justice and liberate the people of the State.

He urged the church members to pray for him as the time has come for him to throw his hat in the ring.

“Just thank God for me, just pray for me because by next week October 20th, anyone in the cabinet that wants to contest election must step down because the time has come for us to do that.

“It is time to make my interest ‎known by the grace of God I will sacrifice the comfort of a minister, to go into the wilderness.

“I want to sacrifice the comfort of the high office that I am in now to join my people in the wilderness in  Nasarawa State to fight for peace and justice in this state.

“There is too much blood being shed here, there is too much evil taking place here, there is too much ‎destruction going on in Nasarawa State. The time has come for us to ask God to bring this era to an end. And it is only God that can do it, we are asking God that as we step out voluntarily which is very very important to me, that as we go into the wilderness that God as He did for Moses  he will lead us to cross the red sea of politics, rip water from the rock, give us manner of heaven, pull down the wall of Jericho.

“There may be giants out there, all over, but like Caleb we trust God, we are able to conquer, we are able to subdue. So all we need is prayers and thank God for what He has done for me, not for what we are looking at, being governor will not really add anything to my name, I think I have made all the name I could make in Nigeria. But this sacrifice ‎is for my people, to liberate my people”, he said.

‎The Priest, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Soja Ayabugu, later presented the Holy Bible to Maku urging him not to engage in politics of acrimony.