A group under the umbrella of Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) has called on the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to appoint Governor Simon Bako Lalong as the next Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The Arewa group stated that Lalong would not only bridge the political, religious, and ethnic gap but bring more unity to the country, adding that the sacrifices made as the Director General of the APC Campaign Council have shown he has competence and capacity.

Speaking to newsmen in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Friday, AYF Chairman, Haruna Bature, said the governor of Plateau State has the charisma to unite the country if given the mandate to function as the SGF.

He said Lalong is a bridge builder and a charismatic party leader, stressing that he is a great man with capacity and competency both in private and public works.

Bature said: “Our dear president-elect should rest assured that he found a savant, dedicated, a man of character, and above all, a God-fearing man whose competency, dedication, and desire to serve his motherland should not be ignored.”

“Lalong hasn’t served as a speaker, governor of Plateau State, DG of APC PCC, and sacrificing his political career, and life in ensuring the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president of the Federal Republic is a great sacrifice worthy of recognition.

“Gov Simon Lalong has indeed downplayed his political interest to making sure that the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerges against all religious, ethnic, and political game that played out at all levels,” he added.

Meanwhile, the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, is reportedly set to emerge as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in the administration of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

El-Rufai, a former FCT Minister and director-general of the Bureau for Public Enterprises, is a close ally of Tinubu.

Recall that Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, had last year urged El-Rufai not to leave the country after his tenure as governor comes to an end but to stay to serve the country with him.

According to Leadership Newspaper, the Kaduna governor has been penciled down to take over from Boss Mustapha as the SGF of the incoming administration.

A source disclosed that as SGF, Tinubu believes El-Rufai will be able to galvanise Ministers to implement his administration’s policies effectively.