Tribunal declares Tinubu’s minister, Simon Lanlong winner of Plateau South senatorial polls

Followling his appointment as the Minister for Labour and Employment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Jos, Plateau State, hSimon Lalong as the winner of the Plateau South senatorial district.

Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Mahmoud Tukur, who declared the judgement on Monday, stated that the votes scored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Napoleon Bali in the February 25 election were wasted.

He held that the PDP candidate was invalidly nominated, declaring Lalong, the immediate past governor of the state, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the poll.

According to the judges, as of the time of the nomination, the PDP had no valid structure in the state.

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The panel also ruled that candidates who petitioned the court on the ground of over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral laws could not prove the allegations.

In another judgement, the court also stacked the PDP member representing the Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency and declared the Labour Party (LP) candidate Dalyop Chollom winner.

The tribunal ruled that Peter Gyenden of the PDP was not validly nominated at the time of his nomination due to his party’s lack of a valid structure in the state.