MINISTER of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong is set to resign his position in the Tinubu’s adminstration, News Point Nigeria gathered.
A source close to the minister, who pleaded anonymity told this newspaper that the Minister has collected his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as Plateau South Senator, Thursday.
According to the source, who spoke exclusively to News Point Nigeria, Lalong has communicated his desire to proceed with his Senatorial sojourn to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume and the Chief Of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
“The minister is yet to brief President Tinubu on his desire to join the Senate after the Appeal Court’s ruling but he has met with the SGF and the Chief of Staff on the matter and both men had wished him well on the endevour”
“But like you know, the President has the final say on the matter, if President Tinubu decides to keep him as minister, he will gladly stay”, the source stated.
“The President returned last night from the G20 Summit in Germany and hopefully Lalong will see him tonight and then we will get to know the final stand of things”, the source added.
This newspaper had reported that the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the participation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its senatorial candidate in the February 25 National Assembly Election, Napoleon Bali, for Plateau South Senatorial District, on 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 former Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, as the Senator for the Plateau South Senatorial District.
Lalong, who stood for the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had come second in the February 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 elections for the purpose of having officers for Wards, Local Governments and State Council.
The Plateau High Court had in 2022 ordered PDP to conduct elections for selection of officers for Wards, Local Governments and the State Chapter of the party which was not complied with.
Specifically, the appellate court held that PDP did not sponsor any candidate for the Plateau South Senatorial District because it was not qualified to stand for any election as at February 25, 2023.
The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the declaration of Lalong as the lawful Senator for Plateau South Senatorial District having scored second highest votes at the election.