BREAKING: Former Labour Minister Lalong Sworn In As Senator

Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong has been sworn in as senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District in the 10th assembly.

Lalong, accompanied to the swearing-in by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was administered the oath of office and allegiance at 11:57 am in the plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

He had approached the tribunal challenging the declaration of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Napoleon Bali, who the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said scored 148,844 to Lalong’s 91,674.

The former governor had asked the tribunal to nullify the emergency of Bali being that the PDP did not have a proper party structure and therefore could not file candidates for the elections.

The tribunal in the judgment read by Justice Muhammad Tukur declared in the negative the declaration of the PDP candidate as the winner saying the votes scored by the PDP candidate were wasted votes.

Bali headed to the Appeal Court headed by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, which ruled that despite the protestation from the PDP, the matter was both a pre-election and post-election matter and upheld the tribunal’s judgement.

The judge held that the PDP erred not to obey a subsisting court judgement.

“This issue is hereby resolved against the appellant. Invalidly nominated candidates cannot attract lawful votes.

“This appeal fails.

“The tribunal judgment is hereby affirmed,” the appellate court had ruled.

The former governor was appointed minister having served as Director General of Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council and led the council into power on February 25.

He resigned after the tribunal judgment to pick up the senatorial seat.