Victor Ezeja
AdminTwo-term governor of Plateau State now Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, says he is confused as to whether he should move to the Senate or remain in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu.
Lalong had contested the February 25 election for Plateau South senatorial district but the Independent of National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Lalong headed for the tribunal, which ruled in his favour. Bali had rejected the result of the tribunal and filed an appeal. In a judgement delivered by Justice Elfaida Williams-Dawodu, the appeal court on the 7th of November upheld the tribunal’s verdict, saying the votes cast for the PDP candidate were unlawful.
Justice Williams-Dawodu ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Bali and give a fresh one to Lalong who has since gone to pick up the certificate. Prime Business Africa reports that Lalong used to be the speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly.
In a video shared on the internet by an online TV, Lalong was seen addressing a crowd: “Each time I am with him (referring to Comrade Isa Aremu), he will remind me that, please don’t go to Senate, please remain with us at the Ministry of Labour. Maybe that is not what my constituency will also say because as I am now, I am a very confused man, because whether to go to left or go to right but pray for me to take the best decision.
“If I remain with you, I will remain as a comrade but if I go there. I told comrade Oshiomhole, I said they mentioned you to go and speak on behalf of the Labour. I said no, Comrade Aremu should speak. They said ‘why?’, I said as a senator, I think you have partly committed class suicide.
“You may be shifting a little bit, until we see you after for four years, we will not confirm that you are intact. So it is only that time that we will know whether you have committed class suicide or you are still within as a comrade,” he said.
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