Tribunal Declares Labour Minister, Lalong Winner Of Senatorial Election

The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has declared the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the duly elected person for Plateau South senatorial district.

Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Mahmoud Tukur held that the votes scored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Napoleon Bali, in the February 25 election were wasted votes as he was invalidly nominated.

The unanimous Monday judgment held that as of the time of the nomination, the PDP had no valid structure in the state.

On the other grounds of over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral laws, the panel ruled that the petitioners could not prove the allegations.

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Similarly, the PDP lost the Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency seat to Labour Party (LP) candidate Dalyop Chollom.

The tribunal ruled that Peter Gyenden of the PDP was not validly nominated as at the time of his nomination due to his party’s no valid structure in the state.