ate au ▁State ▁House ▁of ▁Assembly ▁representing ▁his ▁native ▁Sh end am ▁Const itu ency . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁speaker ▁of ▁the ▁assembly , ▁occup ying ▁that ▁position ▁till ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁following ▁a ▁political ▁storm ▁within ▁the ▁House . ▁The ▁seven ▁years ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁Spe aker ▁of ▁that ▁assembly ▁made ▁him ▁the ▁longest ▁serving ▁speaker ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Pl ate au ▁State . ▁During ▁that ▁period ▁he ▁was ▁two ▁times ▁( 2 0 0 1 – 2 0 0 2 ) ▁elected ▁as ▁the ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Conference ▁of ▁Spe akers ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 ▁states ▁of ▁Niger ia . ▁In ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁as ▁the ▁second ▁ten ure ▁of ▁the ▁serving ▁Governor ▁of ▁Pl ate au ▁State , ▁Jon ah ▁J ang , ▁ne ared ▁its ▁end , ▁L al ong ▁joined ▁the ▁contest ▁to ▁succeed ▁J ang . ▁This ▁time , ▁he ▁did ▁so ▁under ▁the ▁All ▁Progress ive ▁Congress ▁( AP C ) ▁political ▁platform . ▁His ▁ch ances ▁seemed ▁narrow ▁at ▁the ▁beginning , ▁but ▁the ▁cap r icious ▁nature ▁of ▁politics ▁t ipped ▁the ▁balance ▁eventually , ▁favor ing ▁him ▁by ▁a ▁sl im ▁margin . ▁He ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁Governor ▁of ▁Pl ate au ▁State ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁March ▁ 9 , ▁ 2 0