The Southern Kaduna Journalists Forum has made an appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

They are urging him to consider a practice that has been established in Kaduna State. This practice involves selecting a minister from the southern region of the state when the governor hails from the northern part.

This appeal seems to be grounded in the idea of regional balance and representation in government. It suggests that when the governor comes from the northern part of Kaduna, it would be fair and equitable to choose a minister from the southern part, ensuring that different regions of the state have a voice in the federal government.

The forum’s message underscores the importance of geographical diversity in political appointments, aiming to foster inclusivity and ensure that various regions within a state are adequately represented at the national level.

A statement issued by the forum’s Chairman and Secretary, Ango Bally and Lilian Silas Zubairu, respectively, on Wednesday said, “A precedence had been set between 1999 to 2014, wherein, when the governor of the state is elected from the northern part, the ministerial appointment and Secretary to the State Government goes to the southern part and vice versa. This ensured equity, fairness, and inclusive governance.”  

A vacant ministerial position for Kaduna State remains unfilled as of now. This situation arose after security reports led to the rejection of Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of the state, for ministerial approval.

According to the statement, “Since the return of democratic governance in 1999, previous administrations, both at the state and national levels had demonstrated fair distribution of appointments between the northern and southern parts of the state.” 

The forum clarified that the current Governor of the state, Senator Uba Sani, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajjudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and the Secretary to the State Government all hail from the northern region of the state. They emphasized that to uphold principles of equity, justice, and fairness, it is essential to allocate the ministerial position to the southern part of the state. 

“We hereby make a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to please consider picking el-Rufai’s replacement from Southern Kaduna for equity, fairness, and inclusion. The candidate could be any competent person from Southern Kaduna, irrespective of party, or religious affiliation,” the forum said.

The forum expressed confidence that if a minister is picked from Southern Kaduna, it would bring the people of the region closer to the government and align their interests with Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”.