Plateau State Governor and chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Barr. Simon Lalong, has disclosed that northern governors of the APC supported power shift to the southern part of Nigeria in order to promote unity, peace and stability of the country.
He said the support was also within the spirit of fairness, equity and justice which the late Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, stood for.
A statement issued in Jos by the director of press and public affairs, Dr. Makut Simon Macham, said Lalong made the disclosure while speaking at the 9th Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture on Leadership and Good Governance held in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He said because the late Sardauna lived a life of accommodation, tolerance, justice and fairness, his legacies had endured long after his death and continued to inspire leadership in the region and country at large.
He 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 the 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.”
The governor urged all Nigerians, both in the North and across the country, to support president-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he takes on the mantle of leadership. He said the North is an important stakeholder in the Nigerian project and its contributions towards his election cannot be over emphasised.
He added that the 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 one a common destiny,” he said.
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 Sardauna lived and died for.
He said though there had been challenges in the country after the death of Sir Ahmadu Bello, some progress had been made which could be built upon to make the North 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 sacrifices for the general good.
He said the question of unity and cohesion in Nigeria particularly after the 2023 general elections cannot be over emphasised 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 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 chief of staff Prof. Ibrahim Gambari said it was 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 was an opportunity to reflect on the dreams of Sardauna and also a way of putting critical national and regional issues on the front burner.
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