The Presidency, Monday, December 18, 2023 confirmed that President Bola Tinubu has officially accepted the resignation of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong from his cabinet.
A presidential aide confirmed that Lalong tendered his resignation to President Bola Tinubu privately.
“Lalong has resigned. But it was not at the FEC meeting itself. It must have been after the meeting because, if it were earlier, the President or SGF would have announced it during the meeting,” a presidential aide told The PUNCH.
READ ALSO: Appeal Court Sacks PDP Senator, Declares Lalong Winner
To buttress the development, an insider in the All-Progressives Congress (APC) Imran Muhammad, who wrote on X to confirm Lalong’s resignation.
“President Tinubu accepted Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong resignation from the cabinet, his valedictory will hold next FEC meeting. Mr. Lalong also recommended 4 Names to the President as his replacement” he tweeted.
The Matrix reports that on November 7, 2023, a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja affirmed Lalong as the legitimate winner of the Plateau South Senatorial seat.
The appellate court in a ruling read by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, held that the matter was both a pre-and post-election matter.
Justice Williams-Dawodu added that the tribunal’s decision was correct on the matter.
Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party had been announced as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after scoring 148,844 votes to defeat Lalong who got 91,674 votes to finish second in the election.
But the tribunal, while deciding on a petition filed by Lalong, ruled that Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party did not have a valid right to participate in the election.
The panel ruled that Bali’s votes in the general elections on February 25, 2023, were void.
Bali approached the appeal court, asking the court to set aside the judgment.
The Appeal Court dismissed the petition and affirmed the judgement of the Tribunal.
It held that the PDP was wrong not to have obeyed subsisting orders asking that a new congress should be conducted in the state.
“Section 287 of the Nigerian Constitution said all are expected to observe orders of the court. The order was in the realm. It is binding all persons. It is immutable and until it is set aside must be complied with.
“This issue is hereby resolved against the appellant. Invalidly nominated candidates cannot attract lawful votes. This appeal fails. The tribunal judgment is hereby affirmed,” Justice Williams-Dawodu said.
In the same vein, on November 23, that INEC had issued the Minister of Labour and Employment and Senator-elect for Plateau South Senatorial District, Lalong his certificate of return.
