Loading ...Facts have emerged that about 64 serving senators and 151 members of the House of Representatives will not be returning to the National Assembly in June when the 9th Assembly will be inaugurated.
According to the results of the elections released so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), only 45 senators and about 209 members will be returning to the federal legislature.
Meanwhile, fifteen of the newly elected senators are former state governors while forty-two of the 64 non-returning senators could not get their party’s’ ticket in October last year at their respective primaries. The remaining 22 lost at the Saturday’s National Assembly elections.
From the list released so far by the electoral body, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has 64 senators-elect so far, while the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has only 41. Another political party, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has one senator-elect.
With 106 senators returned so far, there are three more seats yet to be concluded from Plateau, Kogi and Imo states.
Recall that in 2015, 79 Senators couldn’t return to the red chamber. But the 64 is an improvement .
From the 42 senators that lost out during the primaries, few of them did not contest for reelection, while many of them went into the contest but lost.
For the House of Representatives, the number of non-returning lawmakers represents 41.9 percent of the 360-member chamber. However, the number is expected to rise as election results from some constituencies are yet to be declared.
However, the results released so far showed that the APC got over 200 members so far in the House, while the PDP has a little over 100.
The big surprises
Senate President Bukola Saraki was among big wig who lost to Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe of the APC. He has been in the Senate since 2011.
Former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio also lost his return bid when he was defeated by Christopher Ekpenyong of PDP.
Also, former Benue governor, George Akume, who has been at the Senate since 2007, lost to a serving member of the House of Reps, Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev.
Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi also lost to former PDP Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye of the APC.
Meanwhile, two governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state contested to come to the Senate but lost.
List of Senators-elect
Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North)
Lola Ashiru ( Kwara South)
Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South).
Uba Sani (Kaduna Central)
Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna North)
Gabriel Suswam (Benue)
Ibrahim Hassan Hadeija (Jigawa)
Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa North)
Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central)
Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal ( Sokoto South)
Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central)
Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom South);
Yakubu Oseni (Kogi Central)
Umaru Tanko Almakura ( Nasarawa North)
Ibrahim Mohammed Bomo (Yobe South)
Olubunmi Adetunbi (Ekiti North)
Teslim Folarin (Oyo)
Binos Yero (Adamawa South)
Adamu Aliero (Kebbi)
Kashim Shettima (Borno),
Theodore Orji (Abia),
Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano)
Kabiru Gaya (Kano),
Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa)
Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa)
Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe),
Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe),
Rochas Okorocha (Imo),
Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun),
Sam Egwu (Ebonyi),
Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara),
Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto)
Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu).
The 9th Senate
From the results released so far, APC has just a simple majority of 64 senators, 3 better than the 61 overall senators it got in 2015.
Though APC has a comfortable majority, it still lacks the two-thirds majority, which is 73 senators to pass major legislation.
As a result, PDP has 39 senators against the 48 it got in 2015, while YPP has one.
Moreover, 46 senators got reelected this time, only 30 senators won in 2015, while 79 senators lost their return bid in 2015.
Six of the governors are currently serving their second terms, which will end on May 29. They are Geidam, Okorocha, Almakura, Shettima, Yari, and Amosun.
