APC Retains Majority Seats in Senate

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has maintained its majority in the Senate with 60 senators going by the results of the National Assembly poll so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

From the results released so far by the INEC, the APC has 60 senatorial seats while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has so far produced 35 senators. The Young Peoples Party (YPP) won one seat to make up 96 senatorial seats whose results were announced so far by the electoral body.

With 60 seats won by APC candidates at last Saturday’s National Assembly election, the ruling APC is set to maintain dominance in the Ninth Senate. The number will give the APC numerical strength in the Red Chamber. It will also enjoy a simple majority. It will, however, not afford the APC the luxury of a two-third majority in the upper chamber

There are 109 seats in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. They are made up of three senators from each of the 36 states. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has one slot.

Out of this figure, a total of 38 senators made up of 22 APC and 16 PDP lawmakers were re-elected to be part of the 9th National Assembly to be inaugurated in June.

It is expected that the next crop of federal legislators with most of them being first timers and youths will try and put the interest of the nation first in their legislative duties rather than standing up to the executive.

With this development, the relationship between the executive and the legislature is expected to be cordial compared to the cat and mouse relationship between the eighth National Assembly that is winding down and the presidency.

This much was alluded to by Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who envisaged a robust executive-legislation relationship with the outcome of the February 23 National Assembly poll aimed at ending the bickering between the two arms of government.

Lawan, who stated this while speaking with journalists on Monday in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, said the new APC victory in the two chambers would be people-friendly.

Lawan who defeated Sheriff Abdullahi of the PDP to retain his Yobe South seat regretted that the National Assembly in the last four years, had not been cooperative with the laudable programmes and projects of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC administration.

“This time around, the APC will have at least two-third majority and in control of the Senate and House of Representatives with legislators who are patriotic and willing to identify with the programmes of the president.

“This time, it will not be the kind of National Assembly that will betray the trust of Nigerians; the National Assembly will support Mr. President to meet the needs of Nigerians ” he assured