BY JONATHAN IPAA, ABUJA AND YAKUBU WUYEP, JOS 

As the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, forwarded its proposed zoning of offices to the presidency, the North-central politicians have started lobbying for slots in earnest.

This is owing to the party’s decision to allocate the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and critical positions in government to North-central geo-political zone, even as this decision has knocked up some of her top politicians.

Notably among them are two ex governors: Senator Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa State and Senator George Akume of Benue State and a former Minister under ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dame Pauline Tallen respectively.

Senator Adamu, who just got re-election to the Senate for a 3rd term may dump his seat at the red chamber.

His latest decision was part of a deal struck out with the party to support a consensus arrangement for the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State for the President of the Senate.

For Senator Akume, the ex Benue State political leader is being touted to keep the tempo of the party in North-central zone following his disgrace by the Suswam/Ortom forces in the just concluded general elections in Benue State.

Plateau State has its ex Deputy Governor, Dame Pauline Tallen in the race. The Plateau Vanguard for Change is pushing for her nomination.
Tallen who turned down an ambassadorial offer last time and couldn’t grab the Plateau South Senatorial party ticket of the APC to contest the 2019 senatorial election.

Governor Lalong, who is from the same Shendam council area as Tallen, had reasoned that an imbalanced allocation of key positions on the Plateau by his party could spell doom for him, and to the advantage of the opposition PDP.

The group has openly expressed confidence in the leadership of ex Deputy Governor and former Minister for Science and Technology by calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider appointing her into his cabinet.

They believe her appointment into the cabinet could promote the progressive politics of the APC and its unfolding political agenda.
President Buhari is set to constitute a new cabinet to help drive his programmes and campaign promises to the growth and development of Nigeria.

The party’s decision to allocate certain offices and critical positions in government to certain geo-political zones is much a demonstration of its ideological canon of the politics of equity, fairness, and justice; and much more in furtherance of the resolve of the Buhari’s presidency to service the machinery of governance with competent personnel and workforce that will catalyse programmes and policies focus to make desired and maximum impact on the generality of Nigerians.

With the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and a few other positions allocated to the North-central geo-political zone of the country, the searchlight has been on who is capable of quality representation with the pedigree and exposure to articulate the programmes of government, and lend critical service to the second stanza of the Buhari’s administration to deliver on programmes and key projects aimed at repositioning the country in a manner that will make a continental pride and global reference in developmental strides.

Since this news break of the zoning, Dame Tallen has been a prominent name among those mentioned especially for the critical Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
According to the Plateau lobby group, the former Minister has seen much, and is arguably has what it takes to add value to the Next Level cabinet.
Her life style which is all about Nigeria, her people, politics, cultures, preferences, sensibilities, the national process and nationhood.
Tallen, the only female in the race so far, has started her public career from the classroom to a local government councillor, and later commissioner and member of the state executive council.

She made a steady and ideal growth and process along the rungs of public administration; and to that extent quite familiar with public policy and its workability under different colours of government and political systems; and by now has consolidated the workings of public administration to a point of providing a rallying point for popular support, understanding, cooperation, and mass participation of the people to enable government deliver on its mandate.

As a candidate, Tallen has a thorough background of an executive persona who understands how to service the engine room of the implementation of government policies and programmes.

In spite of her prominent standing in the crowd of deserving and qualified persons for the exalted office, Tallen is again favoured by time and circumstance, given this government’s disposition to improve and expand the opportunity for more women participation in governance, especially at the very critical, visible, and managerial level.

count | 603

SGF Position: Adamu, Tallen, Akume In Tense Race