Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and governor of Plateau State, says the All Progressives Congress’ Northern Governors (APC) did not necessarily want the president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to be Nigeria’s president when they supported the power shift to the southern part of the country.
Lalong, who was the Director General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign organisation, noted that their push for a southern presidency was rather in order to promote the unity, peace and stability of Nigeria within the spirit of fairness, equity and justice which the late Premier of the Northern Region, Ahmadu Bello, stood for.
The governor disclosed this on Saturday at the 9th Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture on Leadership and Good Governance held in Lafia, Nasarawa State, via a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Macham Makut.
His words, “When I led my colleagues – the Northern Governors – to push for power shift to the South, it was not because we wanted Asiwaju to be President. Rather, we wanted to ensure that justice and fairness prevail in our nation for unity, peace and harmony. That is what we believe our revered father of blessed memory, Sir Ahmadu Bello, would do in such circumstances. Fortunately, the party delegates chose Asiwaju who was eventually accepted by Nigerians as he was unanimously elected.”
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He further urged all Nigerians, both in the North and across the country, to support Tinubu as he takes on the mantle of leadership.
According to him, because the late Sardauna lived a life of accommodation, tolerance, justice and fairness, his legacies have endured long after his demise and continue to inspire leadership in the region and country at large. Lalong added that the North is an important stakeholder in the Nigerian project and its contributions towards his election cannot be over emphasized.
“The Northern region needs serious attention in various sectors ranging from security, education, infrastructure, agriculture, economic revival and restoration of law and order in various areas that have been ravaged by insecurity.
“It is heartening to note that the Northern Governors Forum, under my leadership, has done a great deal of work on bringing our people together as one people with a common destiny,” Lalong added.
