‘It’ll compensate north-central’ — CSOs ask Tinubu to appoint Simon Lalong as SGF

A group known as Civil Rights Action for Democracy has called on Bola Tinubu, president-elect, to appoint Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau, as the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) of the incoming administration.

The group, comprising 200 civil society organisations (CSOs), said the appointment would compensate for the loyalty of the north-central to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

TheCable reported how the decision of the APC to nominate Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, and Abbas Tajudeen, a house of representatives member from Kaduna, as leaders of the 10th national assembly had sparked controversy within the party.

While Akpabio was nominated for president of the senate, Tajudeen was endorsed as the speaker of the house of representatives.

The party also nominated Barau Jibrin, a senator representing Kano north, as deputy senate president, and Benjamin Kalu, a lawmaker from Abia and current house spokesperson, as deputy speaker.

The nominations have been faulted by lawmakers within and outside the party, with several critics pointing to the absence of north-central from zoning arrangement.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, Andrew Idoko, national coordinator of the group of CSOs, said appointing the Plateau governor as the SGF would address “the concerns of the north-central region with regard to inclusion in governance”.

He added that Lalong “is a dedicated and hardworking party leader who worked tirelessly and round the clock to ensure the party’s victory” at the presidential poll.

“A lot has been said about the zoning arrangement of the APC with regard to balancing along the lines of religion and ethnicity. This has indeed generated a discourse in the polity. As it stands, all regions in the country have been identified and earmarked for leadership positions, but the north-central,” Idoko said.

“As a body devoted to the ideals of democracy, it is our view that the north-central region was instrumental to the success of the APC in the presidential elections. The leadership acumen of the governor of Plateau state and chairman of the presidential campaign council was also instrumental to the party’s overall success despite the numerous hurdles that were before it.

“Governor Simon Lalong displayed a rare leadership style that emphasized competence and dedication to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. His plans and programmes, even as the governor of Plateau state in the last eight years, speak volumes of a man on a mission to contribute to the country’s socioeconomic development.

“It is our opinion that the APC as a party must, as a matter of urgency and necessity, encourage such credible leaders to continue to contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria through ways and means possible.

“The APC as a party must also ensure that the north-central region is adequately compensated for loyalty and dedication to the party as exemplified during and after the general elections in the country.

“One of the ways this could be achieved is the appointment of Governor Simon Lalong as the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) to reward the north-central region for their loyalty all the while and also to tap into his wealth of experience in our quest for sustainable growth and development.

“It must be stated that having Governor Simon Lalong as the SGF would go a long way in addressing the concerns of the north-central region with regard to inclusion in governance on the heels that the proposed leadership of the national assembly didn’t accommodate the north-central region for inexplicable reasons.

“Let us emphasize that the suitability of Governor Simon Lalong as the SGF cannot be overemphasized. He is a dedicated and hardworking party leader who worked tirelessly and round the clock to ensure the party’s victory at the polls.”