The Chairman of the Northern
Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong has said the
Northern Governors of the APC did not necessarily want the President-elect,
Bola Tinubu, to be President of Nigeria when they supported the power shift to
the southern part of the country.
According to Lalong, who was also
the Director General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign organisation, 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, Sir Ahmadu Bello, stood for.
Lalong was speaking at the 9th
Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture on Leadership and Good Governance held
in Lafia, Nasarawa State, a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public
Affairs, Macham Makut, said on Saturday
The Governor said, “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”.
Lalong urged all Nigerians, both
in the North and across the country, to support Tinubu as he takes on the
mantle of leadership.
The governor noted that, 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. According to him, 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.
Nasarawa State Governor, Engr.
Abdullahi Sule, said it was a privilege for his state to host the very
important event, which reminds the region and the nation about the values that
Sardauna lived and died for.
He said, although there have been
challenges in the country after the demise of Sir Ahmadu Bello, some progress
has been made which can be built upon to make the Northern region and Nigeria a
better place.
Speaking on the topic “2023
Elections as Panacea for Search for Quality Leadership in Nigeria,” Kenyan Law
Professor and pan Africanist, Patrick Lumumba, said the late Sardauna left
behind several lessons for politicians which include his selflessness and
sacrifice for the general good.
He said the question of unity and
cohesion in Nigeria particularly after the 2023 general elections cannot be
over emphasized because Nigeria plays a very key role in the stability of
Africa being a giant in all ramifications.
Lumumba stressed that the
sacrifices of founding fathers like Sardauna, who paid the supreme price,
should not be left to go in vain but built upon for a greater Nigeria and
Africa.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a
message delivered by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, said it is
important that Nigerians devote more attention to recruiting quality leaders
who are capable of steering the nation in the right direction.
He also said the process of
elections should also be looked at, and continuously improved upon to ensure
that those who serve the people have their mandate and also enjoy their
support.
Emir of Lafia, HRH Sidi Bage,
said the lecture series is an opportunity to reflect on the dreams of Sardauna
but also a way of putting critical national and regional issues on the front
burner.
He thanked Governor Lalong, who
as Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, worked hard to ensure that the
traditional Institution is given a place in the governance of Nigeria much as
it was during the time of the Sardauna.
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