Simon Lalong, the Minister of Labour and Employment, was formally recognised as the Senator-elect for Plateau South on Tuesday by the Appeal Court in Abuja.
The Independent National Electoral Commission reports that Senator Napoleon Bali of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won the poll.
On September 11, however, Napoleon Bali of the People’s Democratic Party was dismissed by the National Assembly and State Election Petitions Tribunal in Jos for his involvement in a rigged primary election. Simon Lalong was declared the senator-elect for Plateau South.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Lalong, a former governor of Plateau State, as a labour minister prior to the election triumph at the Tribunal.
Napoleon was fired by the Tribunal because the PDP disregarded a ruling from the Jos High Court for the organisation to hold ward congresses.
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The PDP primary poll, according to the All Progressives Congress, whose agenda Lalong opposed, was faulty.
Lalong senator was confirmed by the tribunal after it reached a consensus with the APC legal team.
Since then, Lalong had started working as a minister in Abuja.
However, the PDP candidate filed an appeal with the higher court.
The three-member court panel, presided over by Justice Williams Daudu, declared the lower Tribunal’s conclusions to be in order on Tuesday.
The judge ruled that although the PDP was unable to organise a legitimate congress, the 1999 Constitution requires all authorities and individuals to abide by court orders and rulings.
The only matter that remains is settled against the appellant.
“Thereby, this appeal is denied. Justice Williams declared, “The Tribunal’s decision is hereby upheld.
