Appeal Court Sacks PDP Senator, Declares Lalong Winner

Simon Lalong

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has declared Minister of Labour, Simon Lalong, winner of the Plateau South Senatorial election.

Lalong had asked for the nullification of Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party’s victory in the election on the grounds that the party did not have a proper party structure and, therefore, could not file candidates for the elections.

A tribunal led by Justice Muhammad Tukur had also ruled in favour of Lalong, stating that the PDP has no structure and also lacks the right to take part in the election.

A three-man panel of the Appeal Court led by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu on Tuesday, November 7, upheld the tribunal’s judgement, adding that the matter was both a pre and post-election matter and that the tribunal was correct to have looked at the issue.