ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to maintain its dominance of the Senate, having secured 49 seats, according to the results of the parliamentary polls so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Out of the 89 seats so far declared, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won 28, Labour Party six while New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) secured two seats each.
So far, the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have produced one senator each.
With 49 senators, the ruling party is set to maintain majority in the 10th Senate. There are 109 seats in the Red Chamber, made up of three seats per state and one for FCT, Daily Trust reports.
A party with a simple majority produces presiding officers called President of the Senate and Deputy Senate President.
Meanwhile, the last Saturday’s parliamentary poll has continued to throw up shocks and upsets as more serving governors were defeated in the election.
Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Ben Ayade (Cross River) lost their bids to represent their senatorial districts in the parliament.
The only two Governors that won are Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi).
The result of the Sokoto South senatorial election, which Governor Aminu Tambuwal contested, was declared inconclusive over irregularities, including over-voting.
Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero has been declared winner of Kebbi central senatorial election.
The returning officer, Professor Abbas Yusuf, said Senator Aliero of PDP polled 126,588 votes to defeat Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu in the election.
He said Bagudu, who is also Chairman Progressive Governors Forum, scored 92,389 votes.
The Director-General, DG Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, lost the bid to occupy the Plateau South senatorial seat. He was defeated by retired AVM Napoleon Bali of PDP.
Lalong of APC scored 91,674 while Bali scored 148,844 to emerge the winner.
In Plateau North, PDP’s Simon Mwadkwon polled 155,681 votes to defeat the candidate of APC, Christopher Musa who polled 78,302.
In FCT, LP’s Ireti unseats Aduda after three terms. Ireti Heeba Kingibe of Labour Party has been declared winner of Saturday’s senatorial election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Kingibe defeated incumbent Senator Philip Aduda of PDP, who was elected into the Senate in 2011.
She polled 202,175 votes to defeat her main challenger, Aduda, who scored 100,544 votes while APC’s Zakari Angulu secured 78, 905 and candidate of NNPP got 3,802 votes.
In Sokoto senatorial poll declared inconclusive. No winner emerged in all three senatorial districts in Sokoto after INEC declared the National Assembly elections in the state inconclusive over violence and overvoting.
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was leading Senator Ibrahim Danbaba Dambuwa of APC in the Sokoto South senatorial election with 2,050 votes before it was declared inconclusive. Tambuwal scored 87,850 votes while Dambuwa secured 79,991.
Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and APC’s leader in the state is so far leading in the Sokoto North senatorial election with 11,732 votes.
Wamakko polled 114,866 votes against the 103,134 votes scored by the candidate of the PDP and incumbent deputy governor of the state, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya.
The ruling APC won all the senatorial seats in Kogi State. Engineer Abubakar Ohere was declared the winner of the Kogi Central senatorial election, after polling 52,132 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of PDP, who recorded 51,763 votes.
In Kogi West, Sunday Karimi of APC polled 70,184 votes to defeat his main opponent, Tajudeen Yusuf, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 51,964 votes.
The incumbent Kogi Central senator, Isah Jibrin (APC), was declared winner after polling 108,784 votes being the highest against his closest rival Victor Adoji of PDP, who scored 81,867.
In Delta, the APC candidates, Chief Ede Dafinone and Thomas Joel-Onowakpo, won in the Central and Southern senatorial zones respectively.
Dafinone polled 109,197 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chief Ighoyota Amori (PDP), who scored 101,385.
Joel-Onowakpa polled 49,955 to defeat other candidates, including PDP’s Prince Michael Diden, who scored 47,656.
The ruling APC lost all the three senatorial seats to PDP in Kaduna State. Out of the three seats, only Southern Kaduna was previously occupied by PDP.
In Kaduna North, the incumbent senator, Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC), who polled 190,008 votes lost to PDP’s Khalid Ibrahim Mustapha, who secured 260,026 votes.
In Kaduna Central, PDP’s Lawal Adamu Usman, popularly known as (Mr LA), won with over 250,000 votes.
In Southern Kaduna, Sunday Katung of PDP won with 138,246 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ayuba Michael, of the LP who scored 101,479.
In Rivers, Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East), Barry Mpigi (Rivers South East) and Ipalibo Harry-Banigo (Rivers West), all PDP, won.
For the Central senatorial zone, Aminu Iya Abbas (PDP), was declared winner, having scored 145,880 votes to defeat Abdulaziz Nyako (APC), who got 118,555, in Adamawa state.
Senator Binos Yeroe, PDP candidate for Adamawa South won re-election after scoring 146,407 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adamu Samaila Numan of the APC who scored 94,828 votes.
Senator Elisha Abbo, APC candidate in the northern zone polled 71,927 votes to win re-election against PDP’s Yohanna Amos who scored 61,895 votes.
The LP candidate for Anambra Central senatorial district, Victor Umeh, defeated incumbent Senator Uche Ekwunife of PDP.
Umeh polled 103,608, votes to defeat Ekwunife and other candidates.