Former House of Reps member, Alphonsus Komsol, has urged President Bola Tinubu to replace former Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Lalong with a new minister from the Plateau Central Senatorial Zone, for equity. The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, made the call in an open letter to the president on Sunday, following the resignation of Lalong on Wednesday. Recall that on Nov. 7, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the judgment of the tribunal that recently sacked the elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Plateau State and Lalong was declared the winner of Plateau South Senatorial election that held in February 25, 2023. The Minister fortnight ago was issued with the Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the appeal court judgment. According to him, his suggestion is informed by the urgent need for the president to address diverse issues that bordered on inclusiveness, geopolitics, ethnic balance, equity and fairness on the Plateau. Komsol was the Secretary, Presidential Campaign Council’s Contact and Mobilisation Committee, North-Central Zone; Plateau Coordinator, Independent Campaign Council for Asiwaju, and Member, APC’s Election Planning and Strategic Committee. He said such a decision would determine APC’s success in Plateau. ‘The reason for my selfless suggestion is not far-fetched: It is noteworthy that Lalong is from Plateau South Senatorial Zone, which has produced six ministers since 1999’. He said those ministers were Pauline Tallen (twice), Fidelis Tapgun and his sister, Josephine Tapgun, Solomon Dalung and, lately, Lalong. ‘However, Plateau Central Senatorial Zone has produced just one minister (Bagudu Hirse) since 1999. ‘Paradoxically, this is a zone that usually returns some of the highest votes for the APC in virtually all elections since the formation of our party about 10 years ago.’ The former lawmaker said that the marginalised central zone had some of the major financiers and biggest founding fathers of the APC, who were also the president’s ‘die-hard’ political supporters and best hands, who the ministerial cap perfectly fit. Komsol also said that like Plateau South, Plateau North had produced five ministers since 1999: Damishi Sango, Mark Aku, Musa Izam, Dasuki Nakande and Sarah Ochekpe, who were picked from different ethnic groups within the senatorial zone. ‘I write to you with a deep sense of both passion and compassion, driven by pure patriotism, with a good intent for our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), your government, Plateau State and Nigeria at large. ‘This is especially against the backdrop of your glaring strong will in governance, which has so far in record time, engendered notable reforms across all sectors, including infrastructure and human resource development. ‘To this end, Mr President, I emphatically and unequivocally implore you to kindly do the needful, do your utmost and justice to the raging controversy over the next ministerial slot for Plateau State by giving it to Plateau Central Senatorial Zone.’ The former lawmaker added that giving the next Plateau ministerial slot to the marginalised central zone would go a long way to strengthen the party and avoid any likely political implosion that could arise, if it is done otherwise. Komsol lauded Tinubu for having an ingenuous way of identifying his die-hard political loyalists and rewarding them, as well as having an uncanny ability to mobilise the best minds and strengthen alliances across the country for the common good. ‘You will agree with me that being the president of a country like Nigeria takes a lot of courage and gut, which you must display by listening to the voice of the people. ‘How you deal with diverse issues that border on geopolitics, ethnic balance, equity, and fairness, by carrying everyone along will determine how far you, our party and your government can succeed, going forward,’ the APC chieftain added. It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal in a recent judgment, declared Lalong winner of Plateau South Senatorial Zone, culminating in his resignation on Wednesday to go to the Senate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria