Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simon Bako Lalong, has rejected calls for his resignation as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council as the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has not told him to resign.
A Coalition of Christian Groups from North-Central had slammed Lalong for accepting to serve as Head of the ruling party’s Presidential Campaign Council.
In a chat with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday, Lalong insisted that Pope Francis was not opposed to his appointment.
He added that the Pope had not told him that accepting to lead Muslim-Muslim ticket APC Presidential ticket was against the tenets of Christianity.
“The Pope is not angry with my decision to be the DG of Muslim- Muslim Presidential Campaign.
“I came back home and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Welcomed me at the Airport.
“The next day, I addressed stakeholders of Plateau and I told them why I’m accepting and then there was jubilation, all of them accepted.
“So, if you see people talking about me rejecting the position, I have accepted it already- is not an issue. Some of them have already keyed into it- I’m a Christian. If you watch TVC interview, I said, I was born a Catholic, baptized a Catholic, confirmed a Catholic.
“Today, I went through missionary schools. I was taught by missions, I respect my being a Christian.
“I have been given the highest Award by the Pope, I still hold that Award – the highest Papal Award, I want people to know, Knight of Saint Gregory the Great, I have it and one day if you want I will wear my uniform and come here. So those who are talking it don’t even know where they are.
“I hold a Papal Knight and as a Catholic everything we do, we do it and send the advice to the Pope. “The Pope has not told me that what I’m doing (To accept Director-General) is bad as a Catholic, we take that direction.
“But, generally as a Governor of a State, I’m not responsible only my faith. I’m responsible to the people who belong to other faiths, who are not even Muslims or Christians”. He said.
James Moses is a 9News Nigeria news correspondent reporting from Jos, Plateau State.
He is an experienced writer, journalist and blogger. He is passionate and flair for Politics, Sports and Entertainment reporting.
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