One of the Ministers of President Bola Tinubu has been declared as winner of the February 25 Parliamentary election. Simon Lalong, former Plateau State governor, who was Director-General of Tinubu/Shettima Campaign, was among the seven governors declared as losers of senatorial elections.
Tinubu had subsequently appointed him as Minister of Labour. But on Monday, the National and State Petition Election Tribunal sitting in Jos sacked the senator representing Plateau South, Napoleon Bali, and declared Lalong as winner. Bali contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Lalong ran under the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The tribunal also sacked Peter Gyendeng as member representing Barikin Ladi/ Riyom federal constituency of the House of Representatives and declared Fom Dalyop of the Labour Party (LP) who became second in the February 25 general elections in the state, as winner.
In their separate rulings, Justice Omaka Elekwo and Justice Muhammad Tukur nullified the election of the two PDP candidates because of the party’s refusal to respect the order of a Jos High court to conduct ward congresses before the last general elections. The Justices therefore said the evidence presented by the APC and LP candidates were relevant and admissible.
