By Adamu Israel ,Jos
Leaders and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) under the aegis of the North Central APC Forum on Thursday called on the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to pick Director General of his presidential campaign, governor Simon Lalong as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Speaking on behalf of the forum in Jos the Plateau State capital, the Chairman, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, said since Governor Lalong, who is also the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, has done a lot for the APC, the emergence of Tinubu in the presidential election, the Northern region and the nation at large.
He said due to Lalong’s active support for the president-elect, Tinubu, many people in the North Central region and his hone state of Plateau have been casting aspersions on him and labeling him with all manners of names, but that Lalong stood his ground owning to his strong faith in the ability of the Tinubu/shettima ticket whom he has always said they will perform creditably well once elected.
” Lalong deserves a the position of SGF in order to strengthen the Tinubu administration which he so much believed in and worked tirelessly for his victory. “
Besides, he said, Lalong has demonstrated that peace and unity, which is the bedrock of development, is achievable, as he has been able to restore peace in Plateau State by taking the state out of the dark days of ethno-religious violence.
Zazzaga said North Central APC Forum has initially canvassed for the emergence of the next President from the North Central zone and they routed for Lalong but it didn’t work out, and then later canvassed for him to selected as the running mate to Tinubu, but yet it never worked out.
Despite all that, he said, Lalong did not despair or got annoyed, but kept supporting the party to succeed, and also continue doing so until he was appointed as thebDirector General of the APC presidential campaign council.
He said a loyal party man like Lalong who has been tested and trusted deserves to serve in a strategic capacity like the position of the SGF so that upon the swearing in of Boka Tinubu and the taking off of the administration, the government begin to function maximally without delay as there is much work to be done.
Zazzaga urged the President elect to be focused in his decision-making, and not to allow sycophants and those who did not work for his victory come around him to distract him, saying he is assured that Tinubu will do well following his track record as then Lagos State Governor and his political sargarcity tactics over the years.
He called on all APC supporters to come out en mass across the country and vote all APC governorship and house of assembly candidates across the country this saturday, as the party still remains the party to beat and progressive in its policies.
The group urged the youths to be law abiding during and after the election and ensure that they conduct themselves in a peaceful way so that the election will be violence- free and credible.
