LABOUR Party (LP) has emerged as a major opposition in Nigeria’s mainstream politics, winning six Senate and 34 House of Representatives seats in the February 25 National Assembly (NASS) election.
This is the first time the party has covered impressive grounds in Nigeria’s mainstream politics since its formation in 2002, The ICIR findings have shown.
The party was originally known as the Party for Social Democracy (PSD) before changing to its current name the following year after its formation.
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The milestone of LP in the just-concluded elections for the red and green chambers is no doubt credited to the fame and acceptance of the its presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, by an overwhelming youth majority known as ‘Obidients’.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) today in Abuja said, “In last Saturday’s elections, winners have also been declared for 423 national legislative seats, while supplementary elections will be held in 46 constituencies.
“In the Senate, 98 out of 109 seats have been declared. So far, seven political parties have won senatorial seats, while in the House of Representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been won by eight political parties.”
In terms of party representation for the 10th Assembly, the INEC chief said the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 57 Senate seats, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 29, the Labour Party 6, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2, the Young Peoples Party (YPP) 1, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) 2, and the All Progressive Grand Allance (APGA) 1.
For the lower chamber, Yakubu said the APC has 162 seats, PDP 102, LP 34, NNPP 18, APGA 4, Action Democratic Congress (ADC) 2, SDP 2, and YPP 1.
He also informed that certificates of return would be presented to senators-elect on Tuesday, March 7 at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, while members of the House of Representatives-elect would receive theirs the following day at the same venue.
When compared to its phenomenal stride in the 2023 elections, the LP did not get a single seat in the National Assembly in the 2019 elections.
Four years ago, out of the 360 seats in the house, the APC won the majority seats with a total of 211 members and the PDP got 111 members. The other seats were shared among the smaller parties.
For the Senate, the APC commanded the Senate majority with 64 senators, trailed by the PDP with 44, and YPP with a single seat. The figures have since changed with the series of defections in the National Assembly since the 2019 elections.
Obi, a trader and former governor of Anambra State, who has changed the game and is the new third force in the political arena, was able to galvanise the support of millions of youths, especially in southern Nigeria, in less than a year since he moved to the LP from the PDP.
Findings from Wikipedia showed that from May 27, 2022, the party’s membership and support increased drastically on joining the party shortly after he quit the PDP in a bid to run for the 2023 presidential election.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.