Simon Lalong, the immediate past minister of labour and employment, has taken his seat at the Senate to represent Plateau South Senatorial District.
Mr Lalong, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the immediate past governor of Plateau State, was sworn in on Wednesday at about 11:56 a.m. during the plenary.
The former minister replaced Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was sacked by the Court of Appeal in November.
On Tuesday, Lalong resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to enable him to take his seat in the upper chamber.
He was accompanied to the Senate chamber by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi nduje, and some other leaders of the party.
Simon Lalong, the immediate past minister of labour and employment, has taken his seat at the Senate to represent Plateau South Senatorial District.Mr Lalong, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the immediate past governor of Plateau State, was sworn in on Wednesday at about 11:56 a.m. during the plenary.The former minister replaced Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was sacked by the Court of Appeal in November.On Tuesday, Lalong resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to enable him to take his seat in the upper chamber.During the plenary, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, directed the Clerk of the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze, to administer the oath of office to Lalong.After taking the oath of office, the former minister had a handshake with the senate president, who handed a copy of the Senate standing rules to him.He, after that, exchanged pleasantries with other senators before he was led to his seat by the sergeant at arms.The Court of Appeal declared Lalong as the winner of the 25 February election for the Plateau South senatorial district.A three-member panel of the appeal court led by Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu sacked Bali, the former senator, who was declared winner of the election, on the ground that he was not properly nominated as the candidate of the PDP for the election.The court, thereafter, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Lalong, who was already serving as a minister then.Lalong, a former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, recently said he was confused about whether to continue with his ministerial appointment or take his seat at the Senate.
During the plenary, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, directed the Clerk of the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze, to administer the oath of office to Lalong.
After taking the oath of office, the former minister had a handshake with the senate president, who handed a copy of the Senate standing rules to him.
He, after that, exchanged pleasantries with other senators before he was led to his seat by the sergeant at arms.
The Court of Appeal declared Lalong as the winner of the 25 February election for the Plateau South senatorial district.
A three-member panel of the appeal court led by Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu sacked Bali, the former senator, who was declared winner of the election, on the ground that he was not properly nominated as the candidate of the PDP for the election.
The court, thereafter, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Lalong, who was already serving as a minister then.
Lalong, a former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, recently said he was confused about whether to continue with his ministerial appointment or take his seat at the Senate.
Meanwhile, Akpabio has declared the seats of two senators, David Umahi (Ebonyi-South) and Ibrahim Giadam (Yobe-East), vacant following their appointments as ministers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akpabio made the declaration at plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.
Akpabio said that the declaration of vacancies in their seats was in accordance with Section 68, Subsection (1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He, therefore, called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence the process of by-elections in the two senatorial districts immediately.