The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has administered the oath of office to the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Bako Lalong, for Plateau South.
Lalong of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who took the oath of office on Wednesday at 11.56 am, is replacing Senator Napoleon Binkap Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was sacked by the Appeal Court.
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The immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, before the swearing-in on Wednesday, was at the National Assembly on Tuesday to submit his Certificate of Return and relevant documents to the Clerk of the Senate.
During the visit, Lalong met with the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Barau Jibrin, former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, a Senator representing Plateau Central District Diket Plang, and some Senators.
Speaking with Journalists after the oath of office, the new Senator, who assured his people that he would not disappoint them, as he had never done, even as a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly and later as Speaker of the House, said that he decided to resign his appointment and come to the Senate as his first choice.
Lalong on Tuesday tendered his resignation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to enable him to take his seat at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District.
In a letter submitted to the President on Tuesday, 19th December 2023, the Minister reminded President Tinubu that, after exhaustive legal processes, the Court of Appeal declared him the duly elected Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him the Certificate of Return.
Lalong said the decision for his resignation was not made lightly because of the trust and confidence that President Bola Tinubu placed in him as a Minister in his cabinet, having served as the Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, which delivered victory for the APC.
He explained: “However, after extensive consultations with Your Excellency, critical stakeholders, and my constituents, it has become expedient for me to proceed and take my seat at the Red Chambers to continue to contribute to the Renewed Hope agenda of your Government and the growth of our democracy at large.“