THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has won more seats than all six other political parties that have secured at least a seat at the nation’s 10th Senate.
After the announcement of the results of the supplementary elections on Sunday, April 16, the APC had 59 seats out of the 109 available at the Senate.
The number represents 54.1 per cent of the seats but less than the two-thirds required to take crucial decisions at the National Assembly.
The party is poised to lead the Senate for the third consecutive time – in 2015, 2019, and 2023, but will need the support of other parties to produce and deliver efficient leadership.
Six political parties sharing the remaining 50 seats not won by the APC are the Peoples Democratic Party (36), Labour Party (8), Social Democratic Party (2), New Nigeria Peoples Party, (2), Young Peoples Party, (1), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (1).
The APC won the presidency through its candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the February 25 presidential election and will be forming the government after the swearing-in of the President-elect on May 29.
Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi, according to the presidential election result announced by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, who was the election’s returning officer.
Atiku, a former vice president, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, a former Anambra State governor, garnered 6,101,533 votes.
Tinubu raked in 12 states, Atiku won 12 states, and Obi won 11 states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, both Atiku and Obi claimed they won and are challenging Tinubu’s victory in court.
Some senators are already contesting the position of President of the 10th Senate, which will be inaugurated in June.
Among the major contenders are former Abia State governor and senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, former Akwa Ibom State governor and senator representing Akwa-Ibom North, Godswill Akpabio, senator representing Kano-North, Jibrin Barau, and his Niger-East counterpart, Sani Musa.
The Senate appears to have been a retirement home for governors.
In the Ninth National Assembly in 2019, about 20 former governors were elected, including Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Orji Kalu (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano).
But the calculation changed for some incumbent governors who eyed the Senate at the just-concluded poll.
The ICIR reported how incumbent governors, who will complete their two terms on May 29, vied for the Senate and lost.
The governors are Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Ben Ayade (Cross River).
Others not captured in the report are Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
However, some incumbent governors won the Senate seat. They include Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and David Umahi (Ebonyi).
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org