Agitation for zoning heats up battle for Lalong’s vacant ministerial seat

Following reported plan by former governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, to resign as Minister of Labour and Employment and take up his seat as senator for Plateau South Senatorial District, the race to replace him in the federal cabinet has been intensified with more contenders joining the fray amidst agitation for the zoning […]

Following reported plan by former governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, to resign as Minister of Labour and Employment and take up his seat as senator for Plateau South Senatorial District, the race to replace him in the federal cabinet has been intensified with more contenders joining the fray amidst agitation for the zoning of the Plateau Central Senatorial District.

Groups and individuals in the state continue to unveil candidates of their choice for the ministerial position.

Daily Trust gathered some APC members have started pushing for zoning in the appointment of the minister from the state.

But most of the campaigners have been advocating for the position to be zoned to the Plateau Central Senatorial District. They recalled that during President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years, both ministers—Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Youth and Sports from Langtang South, and Dame Pauline Tallen, Minister for Women Affairs— hailed from Plateau Southern Senatorial zone.

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They said the Southern zone had enjoyed the ministerial slots five times from 1999. These are namely Amb. Fidelis Tapgun, Minister of Trade and Industry; Dame Pauline Tallen, two- term Minister of Science and Technology, 1999- 2007 and Minister of Women Affairs 2019 – 2023 and Ms Josephine Tapgun, Minister of Trade and Industry.

The APC members also hinge their argument on the fact that the Northern Senatorial District had also enjoyed four ministerial slots including D. T. Sango, Minister of Youth and Sports; Late Mark Ishaya Aku, Minister of Sports; Hon M. I. Azi, Minister of State, Transport and Sarah Ochekpe, Minister of Water Resources, adding that for equity, the Central zone should be considered being that since 1999, only Amb. Bagudu Hirse, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs had benefitted from a ministerial position from the state.

Also joining the call, a former House of Reps member, Alphonsus Komsol (APC-Plateau Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang Constituency) has urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint a new minister from the Plateau Central senatorial zone, for equity.

Komsol, in an open letter to the President, cited on Sunday, said giving the next Plateau ministerial slot to the central zone would go a long way to strengthen the party and avoid any likely political implosion that could arise, if it was done otherwise.

The former lawmaker noted that the ‘marginalized’ Central Zone has some of the major financiers and biggest founding fathers of the APC, who are also the president’s die-hard political supporters and best hands, who the ministerial cap perfectly fits.

Meanwhile, a new twist in the ministerial campaign has seen the entrance of new prominent figures into the race. Joseph Ari, the immediate past Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Professor Sonni-Gwanle Tyoden, the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Yakubu Taddy, former Commissioner of Land and Survey and Muhammad Nazifi, former Commissioner of Information have all been identified as potential replacement for Lalong in the federal cabinet.