23 Facts About Solomon Lar

Chief Solomon Daushep Lar was a Nigerian politician who has held various offices at the National level for over 50 years.

Solomon Lar was a member of the first national parliament when Nigeria gained independence in 1960.

Solomon Lar was elected governor of Plateau State on the Nigerian People's Party platform during the Nigerian Second Republic, holding office from October 1979 until the Military coup of 31 December 1983 that brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power.

Solomon Lar's father was a farmer and his mother a pottery maker.

Solomon Lar studied at the Sudan United Mission Primary School in Langtang, and then at the Gindiri Teachers College where he qualified to teach at the Primary School, Langtang.

Solomon Lar was elected as a councilor to the Langtang Natives Authority in January 1959.

Solomon Lar was reelected in 1964, and from then until 15 January 1966, when General Yakubu Gowon took power in a coup, Lar was parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Solomon Lar was a Junior Minister in the Federal Ministry of establishments.

Solomon Lar established a private legal practice, and was co-founder and first national secretary of the Nigerian Legal Aid Association.

In 1972, Solomon Lar joined the board of Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria.

Solomon Lar became chairman of the board of directors of African Continental Bank, member of the Nigeria Council of Legal Education and a member of the Constituent Assembly.

Solomon Lar was vice-chairman of the panel chaired by Justice Ayo Irikefe that recommended expanding from 12 to 19 states during the regime of generals Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo.

Solomon Lar was a board member of the US-based World Environmental Movement for Africa.

At the start of the Second Republic, Solomon Lar was a co-founder of the Nigerian People's Party.

Solomon Lar was nominated as the party's presidential candidate in 1978, and later won the governorship election in Plateau State as the first Executive Governor on 1 October 1979.

Solomon Lar was active in building infrastructure in the state including hospitals, educational institutions, rural electrification, water supplies, and roads.

Solomon Lar introduced reforms to state employment laws, abolishing the daily pay and contract systems and introducing paid maternity leave for nursing mothers.

Solomon Lar's case was reviewed and he was released by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, who started another transition to democracy in 1992.

Solomon Lar was appointed Minister of Police Affairs by the government of General Sani Abacha, later resigning when he realized Abacha was not serious about restoring democracy.

Solomon Lar remained a power in the PDP until 2005, when he supported Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his falling out with President Olusegun Obasanjo, and later supported Atiku's bid for the Presidency in 2007.

Solomon Lar has been described as an ardent Middle-Belter, an active participant in the Middle Belt Forum.

Solomon Lar complained of discrimination against Christians in the North, to the extent that they could not get land to build a church.

Solomon Lar died at an American hospital after a long illness, aged 80.