Former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong Receives Certificate of Return as Senator-Elect
The former Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has officially received his Certificate of Return as the Senator-Elect for Plateau South in the 10th National Assembly.
The presentation was made by Mohammed Haruna, a National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during a ceremony at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Simon Lalong, who previously served as the Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), faced a setback in the February 25 National Assembly polls when he lost the senatorial election to Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Bali secured 148,844 votes, surpassing Lalong’s 91,674 votes. Subsequently, after his defeat, Lalong was appointed as the Minister of Labour and Employment by President Bola Tinubu.
However, the political landscape saw a shift in November when the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the participation of the PDP and Napoleon Bali in the election due to the refusal to comply with a lawful court order.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu, declared the votes cast for the PDP as unlawful and wasted, declaring Simon Lalong as the rightful winner of the poll.
For Lalong to assume his role as a Senator, he must resign from his current position as the Minister of Labour and Employment in the President’s cabinet.
This scenario echoes previous instances where members of the 10th National Assembly stepped down from their positions to join the President’s cabinet, including the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The receipt of the Certificate of Return signifies a significant turn of events for Simon Lalong, who now stands poised to transition from his ministerial role to representing Plateau South in the National Assembly.
This development adds an interesting chapter to the political landscape and underscores the dynamic nature of Nigeria’s political arena.
Source: Channels TV
