AVM Bali Defeats Gov Lalong To Win Plateau South Senate Seat

AVM Napoleon Binkap Bali (Rtd) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ended Governor Simon Lalong’s hopes of going to the senate at the completion of his tenure as Plateau State governor.

Governor Lalong was the Director of Campaign for the All Progressive Congress Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the February 25 presidential election.

Bali floored the incumbent governor during the Plateau south senatorial elections, polling 148,844 votes to Lalong’s 91,674.

The retired Air Vice Marshal who has been declared senator-elect will replace Prof. Nora Dadu’ut to represent people of Langtang North, Langtang South, Mikang, Qua’anpan, Shendam, and Wase local governments in the ninth National Assembly.

AVM Bali, who retired from the Nigerian Air Force as Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP) HQ NAF after an illustrious 35 years’ service, will follow in the steps of former senior military officers who joined politics and served in the senate.

Recall that the late John Shagaya, a retired military officer, represented Plateau South at the Senate from 2007—2011, before he died in a car crash in 2018. Jeremiah Useni, another retired military general, also won the election to represent the zone in the senate from 2015 to 2019.

Speaking on his plans for the constituency when he joined the race in March, 2022, AVM Bali said, “my interest is predicated on the fact that I have in the past played very active roles in the development of my immediate Constituency through various developmental initiatives that I have emplaced.

“These I have done consistently since my youthful days to the position of a Retired 2-Star General in the Nigerian Air Force.

“I strongly believe that I am well positioned to deploy my leadership skills and wide contacts and security background and expertise to add value to my senatorial zone as well as in developing solutions that would help resolve the security challenges facing our dear constituency.”