Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, has resigned from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet to take up the Plateau South Senatorial seat that he recently won.
Lalong, the immediate past governor of Plateau State, is set to be sworn in this week by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, according to reliable sources.
Lalong, who served as the Director-General of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation leading up to the February Presidential poll, faced electoral challenges when he was initially declared the loser by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, he contested the result, and the Court of Appeal eventually overturned the decision in his favor.
After tendering his resignation following Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Lalong is preparing to resume his duties in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.
A presidential aide Imran Muhammad in his X handle last night posted:
“President Tinubu has accepted Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong’s resignation from the cabinet. His valedictory will hold at the next FEC meeting.”
Sylvanus Namang, the spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, confirmed Lalong’s departure from the FEC.
Last month, Lalong received his Certificate of Return after the Court of Appeal ordered INEC to issue it, nullifying the election of Air Vice Marshal Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who previously occupied the seat.
The resignation prompted consultations between the President and party leaders, focusing on Lalong’s replacement in the FEC. During the meeting, Lalong recommended four names for consideration as his replacement, a move that was seen as strategic by party insiders.
Party leaders expressed excitement over the resolution of the litigation in Lalong’s favor, believing that it has strengthened the APC’s representation in the Senate.
Lalong, a loyal party member, left his ministerial position to avoid a supplementary senatorial election, a decision welcomed by party leaders.
