Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has said that as a devoted Catholic, he never received a directive from the Pope to reject his appointment as the Director-General of the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Lalong said this Wednesday while responding to calls on him to reject the appointment by some Christians after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He disclosed that he was content with the appointment adding that he never lobbied to become a Vice Presidential candidate to the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, contrary to speculation.
He, however, conceded that some persons within the party actually rooted for his emergence as Tinubu’s running mate in order to ensure a religious balance.
Responding to criticisms trailing his acceptance to lead the APC’s Muslim/Muslim ticket presidential campaigns, especially from members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), despite being a Christian, Lalong said: “I came back home and CAN welcomed me at the airport. The next day, I addressed stakeholders of Plateau State. And I told them why I am accepting. And then there was jubilation and all of them accepted.
“So if you see people talking about me rejecting it. I’ve accepted already. It’s not an option. I’m a Christian. I went through missionary schools. I respect my being a Christian. I have been given the highest award by the Pope. The Knight of St. Gregory the Great.
“And as a Catholic, everything we do, we send the advice to the Pope. The Pope has not told me that what I’m doing is bad to accept the Director-General. As a Catholic, we take that direction.”