Minister Of Labour, Lalong Gets Certificate Of Return As Senator-Elect

Former Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has received his Certificate of Return as Senator-Elect for Plateau South in the 10th National Assembly.

A National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mohammed Haruna, presented the certificate to Lalong at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Lalong was one of the seven then-outgoing governors who lost their senatorial elections in the February 25 National Assembly polls.

Lalong, a former Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), lost to Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 148,844 votes while the ex-governor polled 91,674.

After his defeat, the ex-governor was appointed Minister of Labour and Employment by President Bola Tinubu.

However, earlier in November, the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the participation of the PDP and Bali in the election on ground of refusal to carry out lawful order of court.

A three-member panel led by Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu declared as unlawful and wasted votes cast for PDP in the election and declared Lalong as winner of the poll.

For the ex-governor to be sworn in as Senator, he must quit his appointment as Minister of Labour and Employment in the President’s cabinet.

Conversely, some members of the 10th National Assembly had resigned to join the President’s cabinet. They include Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.