Plateau State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Simon Lalong, has said he was yet to receive any directive from Pope Francis to reject his recent appointment to lead the campaign for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“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,” Lalong said.
The Governor who was at the State House to thank the President, Major General Buhari (retd.), for some landmark projects in his State, said the State would return the favour with votes for the APC flag-bearer, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 presidential election.
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Lalong disclosed these to State House Correspondents shortly after his audience with Buhari at Aso Rock, Abuja.
There have been controversies following the announcement of former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, as Tinubu’s running mate in July.
The APC’s appointment of Lalong, a Catholic, to lead the campaign for the Muslim-Muslim ticket has drawn harsh criticisms from various Christian-themed groups nationwide.
But speaking on Wednesday, the governor argued that as a confirmed Catholic holding the highest papal award, Knight of Saint Gregory the Great, he had not received any directive from the Vatican to reject the appointment.