Lalong Simon Bako
595,582 votes (51.35%)
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Lalong Simon Bako is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2019 Governorship Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Plateau. They won with 596K votes (51.35%).
Biography
Simon Bako Lalong (born 5 May 1963) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who has served as the senator representing the Plateau South senatorial district since 2023. He previously served as the minister of labour and employment in 2023, and as the governor of Plateau State from 2015 to 2023.
After his elementary and secondary schools education in Shendam Local Government Area, Lalong 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. 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.
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.
He became the speaker of the assembly in October 2000, a position he held until 2006. He was the longest serving speaker of the State's House of Assembly. During that period, he was twice elected (in 2001 and 2002) as the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the 36 states of Nigeria.
In 2014, Lalong joined the race contest to succeed outgoing Governor Jonah Jang on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC). He won and was sworn in as the new governor of Plateau State on 29 May 2015.
In the 9 March 2019 Plateau gubernatorial election, Lalong won re-election as governor of Plateau State, polling 595,582 votes against rival former General Jeremiah Husseini of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 546,813 votes. He was sworn in for a second term on 29 May 2019.
In the 2023 general election, Lalong contested the seat of the senate to represent Plateau South senatorial zone in the National Assembly but lost the election to Napoleon Bali of the People's Democratic Party. Lalong was later appointed Minister of Labour and Employment on 2 August 2023.
In November 2023, an appeals court declared Lalong as the rightful winner of the 2023 senatorial election.
Party Positions
Policy positions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party manifesto.
Security & Defense
Enhances compensation, medical care, housing support, scholarships, stipends, and health insurance for military personnel injured in duty and their families.
Governance & Reform
Commits to amending Nigeria’s governance architecture through constitutional review and collaboration with the National Assembly and State Governments to grant States greater autonomy over critical matters like crime prevention, prisons, stamp duties, and taxation.
Economy & Trade
Reforms the Federal Budgetary Methodology to move away from oil revenue dependence and base spending on projected growth, establishing an inflationary ceiling to optimize fiscal policy without causing excessive inflation.
Infrastructure
Launches a National Infrastructure Campaign to modernize national infrastructure by hiring millions of unemployed Nigerians through the fiscal flexibility gained from reforming budgetary methodology.
Agriculture
Will encourage local farmers to form farm cooperatives, enabling them to pool resources for modern farming equipment, fertiliser, and access priority government agricultural assistance programs (extension services), with tax breaks and credits.
Environment & Climate
Will **reduce Nigeria’s gas flaring** by removing it from the top 10 countries with highest flares, aiming to maximize sector benefits while eliminating environmental harm.
Anti-corruption
Curb reliance on imported goods via luxury taxes, higher tariffs, and processing fees while incentivizing local manufacturing with tax credits/rebates.
Enterprise grant support
Provides tax credits, holidays, and reduced interest rate loans for businesses that hire a specified percentage of youth in their workforce and offer on-the-job training.
Energy
Will increase Nigeria’s domestic crude oil production to **2.6 million barrels per day by 2027** and **4 million barrels per day by 2030**, while implementing a Special Enforcement and Monitoring Unit to deter theft, vandalism, and pipeline breaches using drones and aerial surveillance.
Education
Introduces a new management system for federally funded primary and secondary schools via Boards of Education, reserving community representation in decision-making.
Healthcare
Will strengthen primary healthcare infrastructure with incentive schemes, counterpart funding programs, and grassroots preventative care (vaccinations, cancer screening, blood pressure monitoring) in collaboration with state/local governments.
Technology & Digital
Establishment of an advisory committee to review and reform regulatory frameworks for blockchain technology and virtual asset services.
Reliefs and scholarships
Provides **conditional income support** to very poor households, tied to human capital development goals like high-school attendance, healthcare, and nutrition.
Follow the 2027 race
Who declares, who drops out, who switches party: sourced, not speculation.