Simon Lalong
CON
Senator for Plateau South
Assumed office
20 December 2023
Preceded byNapoleon Bali
Minister of Labour and Employment
In office
21 August 2023 – 20 December 2023
Preceded byChris Ngige
20th Governor of Plateau State
In office
29 May 2015 – 29 May 2023
DeputySonni Gwanle Tyoden
Preceded byJonah David Jang
Succeeded byCaleb Mutfwang
Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly
In office
2000–2007
Personal details
Born
Simon Bako Lalong

(1963-05-05) 5 May 1963
Shendam, Northern Region (now in Plateau State), Nigeria
Political partyAll Progressives Congress
EducationMasters Degree in Law from University of Jos
Occupation
  • Politician
  • businessman

Simon Bako Lalong CON (born 5 May 1963) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician, who is the current minister of labour and employment. He served as governor of Plateau State from 2015 to 2023.[1][2][3][4][5]

Education

After his elementary and secondary schools education in Shendam Local Government Area, he proceeded to the School of Preliminary Studies (S.P.S) Keffi, passing out in 1986. He then continued to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, graduating in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Law. This was immediately followed by the Law School in Lagos, where he was also called to the Bar. He later obtained a master's degree in Law from the University of Jos, in 1996.[6][7]

Professional career

Lalong's professional career as an attorney lasted between 1992, the year following his graduation from law school, and 1998, the dawn of Nigeria's new democracy. During this period he worked with a few law firms, one of which he co-owned. Between 1992 and 1994, he was the Deputy Scribe of the Nigerian Bar Association in Plateau State. After a political stint that lasted seven years he again returned to legal practice as the Principal Partner of Simon B Lalong and Co, until 2015.[6][7]

Political life

In 1998, Lalong temporarily discarded legal practice to pursue a political career. Representing the People's Democratic Party (PDP), he successfully contested his native Shendam Constituency and entered the Plateau State House of Assembly. In October 2000, he became the speaker of the assembly, occupying that position until 2006, following a political upheaval within the House. The seven years which he served as the speaker made him the longest serving speaker of the House in the history of Plateau State. During that period he was two times (2001–2002) elected as the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the 36 states of Nigeria.

In the year 2015, as the second tenure of the serving governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, neared its end, Lalong joined the contest to succeed Jang. This time he did so on the All Progressive Congress (APC) political platform. He was sworn in as the new governor of Plateau State on May 29, 2015.[8][9][10]

In the March 9 2019 Plateau gubernatorial election and March 23, 2019 Plateau State supplementary Gubernatorial Election, Lalong won re-election as governor of Plateau State, having polled 595,582 votes against his rival, General Jeremiah Husseini of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 546,813 votes.[11] He was re-elected as the governor of Plateau State on May 29, 2019.[12][13][14].In the 2023 general election, Lalong contested for the seat of the senate to represent Plateau South senatorial zone in the National Assembly but lost the election to Napoleon Bali who won under the platform of the People's Democratic Party.[15] Lalong was nominated by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu as minister representing Plateau State, on 2 August 2023.[16] He was appointed minister of Labour and Employment on 16 August 2023.

See also

Award

In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander Of The Order Of The Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Supreme Court Affirms Lalong As Governor Of Plateau State". Sahara Reporters. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "Supreme Court Upholds Simon Lalong's Election As Plateau Governor". Channels Television. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "EXTRA: I won re-election because I pay salaries, says Lalong". TheCable. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "FG won't allow us deal with insecurity in Plateau — Lalong". Vanguard News. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Lalong assures ALGON of collaboration against insecurity, others". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Simon Lalong". governorlalong.com.ng. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Official Website of Plateau State". www.plateaustate.gov.ng. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Simon Lalong Victorious In Plateau State". Sahara Reporters. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "APC's Lalong wins Plateau guber election - P.M. News". www.pmnewsnigeria.com. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "Plateau Election Tribunal Upholds Gov. Lalong's Election". Channels Television. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  11. ↑ report, Agency (24 March 2019). "Plateau: Governor Lalong speaks after winning reelection". Daily Trust. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "BREAKING: Simon Lalong re-elected as Plateau state governor". 24 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  13. ↑ "Lalong Re-elected As Plateau Governor". aitonline.tv. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "BREAKING: Governor Lalong reelected for second term in Plateau » 2019Elections » Tribune Online". Tribune Online. 24 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  15. ↑ Nigeria, Guardian (4 March 2023). "Gov. Lalong's loss of senatorial contest, Plateau's loss – APC's spokesman". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Lalong, Oyetola, 17 others make fresh ministerial list". Business Day. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "FULL LIST: 2022 National Honours Award Recipients The Nation Newspaper". 9 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
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