LALONG SHOWS UP AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO TAKE OFFICE AS A SENATOR

Babatunji Wusu –

Simon Lalong, the former minister of labor and employment, has arrived at the National Assembly in advance of being sworn in as the senator for Plateau South.

Lalong arrived to the National Assembly premises on Wednesday morning escorted by Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio will appoint him as the legislator representing the Plateau South Senatorial District on Wednesday during the plenary session.

Lalong has formally resigned from his position as President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet minister of labor and employment.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Makut Simon Macham, the Special Advisor to the departing Minister on Media, affirmed Lalong’s choice to resign as Minister and accept the Senate position.

He disclosed that on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, Lalong sent the President a letter of resignation.

The statement from Macham stated that Lalong had reminded President Tinubu in his letter that, following a protracted legal process, the Court of Appeal had ruled that he was the legitimate senator for the Plateau South Senatorial District and had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant him a Certificate of Return.

He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu had great faith in him as the Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, which helped the APC win, and that this trust and confidence meant that the decision to quit as a Minister was not taken lightly.

But he clarified that it was now more convenient for him to move forward and assume his place in the Red Chambers in order to continue supporting the President’s plan for Renewed Hope following lengthy deliberations.