Senate swears in Lalong as Plateau-South Senator

Sen. Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau)on Wednesday at plenary took his oath of office and allegiance.

The administration of Lalong’s oath of allegiance followed his declaration as winner of the Plateau -South Senatorial election by the Appeal Court.

The Clerk of the Senate, Mr Chinedu Akubueze, administered the oath and allegiance on Lalong.

Lalong, who now represents Plateau -South in the senate had challenged and filed a petition challenging the declaration of Sen. Napoleon Bali of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the Senatorial poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’.

INEC had declared Bali of the PDP as winner of the election, while Lalong came second in the Feb. 25 elections.

But Lalong asked the tribunal to nullify Bali’s election on the grounds that the PDP did not have a proper party structure and, therefore, could not file candidates for the elections.

The tribunal, in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Muhammad Tukur, said the PDP, having no structure, lacked the right to have taken part in the election.