Tribunal declares Labour Minister, Simon Lalong, winner of senatorial election
Tribunal declares Labour Minister, Simon Lalong, winner of senatorial election
Simon Lalong, former Governor of Plateau State and Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign, has been declared winner of Plateau South senatorial election.
Lalong was among seven governors who lost their senatorial elections on 25th February, 2023, after his defeat, Tinubu appointed Lalong as Minister of Labour.
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However, on Monday, the National and State Petition Election Tribunal sitting in Jos invalidated the election of Senator Napoleon Bali, who represented Plateau South, and declared Lalong as the rightful winner.
Bali had contested the election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Lalong ran as a candidate for the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Additionally, the tribunal also nullified the election of Peter Gyendeng, who represented Barikin Ladi/Riyom federal constituency of the House of Representatives, and declared Fom Dalyop of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner.
Justice Omaka Elekwo and Justice Muhammad Tukur, in separate rulings, nullified the election of the two PDP candidates due to the party’s failure to comply with the court’s order to conduct ward congresses before the general election.
The justices deemed the evidence presented by the APC and LP candidates as relevant and admissible.