₦airaland Forum

The result of the National Assembly election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Tuesday has shown that the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, now has the majority status in the 109 membership Senate.

Before last Saturday’s election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, enjoyed the majority status in the Senate with 64 members while the APC had 41.

Labour Party, the Accord Party and the Social Democratic Party, shared the remaining five seats.

Following the declaration of last Saturday’s results, APC will now have 64 senators; the PDP, 45; and the Labour Party, one.

The development will definitely change the configuration of the Senate leadership in the 8th Senate which would be inaugurated in June this year, because the opposition APC which is currently in the minority, would now constitute the principal officers.

For instance, the current Senate President, David Mark who is returning to the Senate for the fifth time, will lose his seat to an APC member while the change in status will also affect other principal officers like the Deputy Senate President, Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip; and Deputy Chief Whip.

Apart from Mark and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu who won the election to return to the Senate, other principal officers like the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma -Egba; his deputy, Abdul Ningi; Chief Whip, Bello Gwarzo; and his deputy, Hosea Agboola, all lost their bid to return.

The current configuration is set to automatically transform the status of the APC members, especially the principal officers from minority to the majority.