Labour Minister Lalong Resigns, To Join Senate

Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Bako Lalong, has resigned his position to join the 10th National Assembly as a Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District.

He is due to be sworn in this week by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, Sylvanus Namang, confirmed Lalong’s resignation to The Nation.

“President Tinubu has accepted Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong’s resignation from the cabinet. His valedictory will hold at the next FEC meeting”, presidential aide, Imran Muhammad, also tweeted on his X handle on Sunday night.

Lalong was set to resign from the Tinubu-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented him a Certificate of Return as the rightful winner of the Plateau South senatorial election following the Court of Appeal ruling to that effect.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, had nullified the participation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its senatorial candidate in the February 25 National Assembly elections for Plateau South Senatorial District, Napoleon Bali, on the ground of refusal to carry out lawful order of court.

Delivering judgement, a three-member panel, led by Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu, declared as unlawful and wasted votes cast for PDP in the election and declared the immediate-past governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, as the rightful winner of the Plateau South Senatorial District election.