Lalong Set To Resign From Tinubu’s Cabinet, To Join 10th Senate

Barring last-minute change of mind, Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Bako Lalong, is set to resign his position in President Bola Tinubu administration just a few months after his appointment.

An indication to that effect emerged on Thursday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented a Certificate of Return to Lalong as the rightful winner of the Plateau South senatorial election following the Court of Appeal ruling to that effect.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal 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.

Lalong, who stood for the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had emerged second in the Senatorial election.

Justice Williams-Dawodu held that the PDP and its candidate have no legal ground to participate in the election having failed to obey the judgment of a Plateau High Court that the party should conduct lawful congresses for the purpose of having officers for Wards, Local Governments and State Council.