Senate President Godswill Akpabio yesterday declared the Ebonyi-South and Yobe-East districts’ seats vacant.
The two seats were vacated by Senators Dave Umahi and Ibrahim Geidam, following their appointments by President Bola Tinubu as ministers.
Akpabio said the declaration was in line with Section 68, sub-section (1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He, therefore, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence the process of by-elections in the two senatorial districts immediately.
Akpabio also swore in former Governor of Plateau State and Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong as the Senator representing Plateau South.
Lalong had resigned from the Federal Executive Council last week as minister to become a Senator. His action followed a 7th November Court of Appeal judgment declaring him as the authentic winner of the March 2023 National Assembly election in Plateau South.
The Senate Clerk, Chinedu Akubueze, administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance on Lalong on the directives of the Senate President.
The immediate past Plateau State governor, who was also the now disbanded Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, took the oath of office at about 11.57 am.
Akpabio immediately congratulated and shook hands with him.
After his inauguration, Lalong said he longed to be a Senator after his tenure as governor on 29 May 2023.
“This was my first choice, to be candid”, he stated.
He explained that he opted to hold the position of a minister in the interim and at the invitation of President Tinubu because of the case he had in court.
APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, who was at the Senate Chamber described the event as a moment of happiness.
“This is a moment of happiness. We are so happy that he won at the Court of Appeal.
“What Nigerians will expect is good legislation. As we know the APC has the majority and will work for the prosperity of all Nigerians”, Ganduje told reporters.
With Lalong’s swearing-in as the lawmaker representing Plateau South Senatorial District, the All Progressives Congress (APC) now has 57 Senators as against the opposition’s 49.
APC originally had 59 Senators before Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Congress (YPP) took the number to 60 via his defection.
The number (60) dropped to 56 when Senators Umahi and Geidam vacated their seats and two others lost at the Court of Appeal to the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The two seats lost by the ruling APC are those of Adamawa North which had earlier been occupied by Elisha Abbo and Kogi Central. by Amos Yohanna.
Three seats – Ebonyi South, Yobe East, and Plateau North – are currently vacant pending bye-election to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the party/parties to occupy them
Out of the 49 opposition seats, the PDP has 37; Labour Party (LP), seven; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), two; Social Democratic Party (SDP), two and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), one.
LP had lost one of its initial eight seats to the PDP when the Court of Appeal declared Augustine Akobundu winner of the Abia Central Senatorial District. The position was initially occupied by Darlington Nwokocha.
