As always the case in every pre – election year, membership of the Senate across party lines has been seriously altered. TAIYE ODEWALE reports
The onset in June 2019
As at the time of inauguration on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, the 9th Senate, started with 64 Senators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 44 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while the remaining 1seat, was occupied by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
Slight effect from election litigations
At the end of 2019, the membership configuration slightly changed in favour of PDP from outcomes of judgements given by elections petitions tribunals or the Court of Appeal.
Through such judicial pronouncements, PDP senators increased by one when Senator Abdullahi Danbaba of the then PDP Sokoto South, displaced Senator Shehu Abubakar Tambuwal of APC who was earlier inaugurated for the senatorial district .
Though Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South), took the place of Senator Bayo Adeyeye of APC with Court of Appeal ruling but the gain was swallowed by victory of Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West) over Senator Dino Melaye of PDP in the bye-election conducted in November 2019.
Similar scenario of status quo ante in terms of membership played out on all the bye-elections conducted for replacement of deceased Senators Benjamin Nwajumogu (APC Imo North), Longjan Ignatius Dalong (APC Plateau South), Rose Oko (PDP Cross River North ) and Adebayo Osinowo (APC Lagos East); as candidates of the affected parties won the seats in the bye-elections conducted at different times by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Individual defectors
However, the membership composition of 63, 45 and 1 for APC, PDP and YPP respectively, started altering in 2020 with defections of senators from the PDP to APC.
First to cross-carpet was Senator Elisha Abbo (Adamawa North), followed by Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North), the three Senators from Zamfara namely, Sahabi Ya’U (Zamfara North ), Lawali Hassan Anka (Zamfara West) and Mohammed Hassan Gusau (Zamfara Central) now deputy governor of Zamfara state.
Others are Senators Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South) and Abdullahi Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto South).
Due to the chronicled Defections, as at early March this year, number of senators on the platform of APC in the Senate had risen to 70 while that of PDP depleted to 38 and YPP 1.
Return ticket-driven defections
But the membership configuration started changing with Senators Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West) and Abubakar Kyari’s (Borno North) emergence as National Chairman of APC and National Deputy Chairman (North) respectively.
Appointment of Senator Mohammed Hassan Gusau (Zamfara Central) as deputy governor of Zamfara state, also reduced the number of APC Senators to 67 before primaries. At that time, PDP still stood 38 and YPP 1.
The membership composition took completely different shapes after party primaries in April, May and June this year with APC now reduced to 61, PDP still at 38 despite adding and subtracting in membership, YPP two, New Nigeria Peoples Party 3, All Progressives Grand Alliance 1 and Labour party 1. The remaining three seats to make it 109 are still vacant.
Those who got APC membership of the Senate depleted to 61 in are the immediate past Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Senator Ahmad Babba – Kaita (Katsina North) and Senator Francis Alimikhena ( Edo North) by defecting to PDP.
Others are Senators Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano Central), Lawal Gumau (Bauchi South) and Jika Dauda Haliru (Bauchi Central) , all defected to NNPP.
Those who left PDP as a result of return tickets are the immediate past minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) who joined APGA, Kola Balogun (Oyo South) who joined APC, Albert Akpan Bassay (Akwa Ibom North East ) joined YPP and Onyewuchi Francis Ezenwa ( Imo East) joined Labour Party.
State by state analysis
The current 61 APC, 38 PDP , 3 NNPP, 2 YPP, 1 APGA and 1 Labour party Senate composition on State by state basis goes thus: Abia state 1 PDP , 1APC and 1APGA, Adamawa state (2 APC and 1PDP), Akwa Ibom (2 PDP and 1 YPP) and Anambra state ( 2 PDP and 1 YPP) .
Others are Bauchi state (2 NNPP and 1 APC), Bayelsa state (2 PDP and 1 APC), Benue state (3 PDP senators) , Borno state (2 APC Senators and one vacant seat), Cross River State ( 3 PDP senators), Delta state (2 APC and 1 PDP) , Enugu (3 PDP senators), Ebonyi (3 PDP senators), Edo state (3 PDP senators) Ekiti state ( 2 APC Senators and 1 PDP and FCT (1 PDP).
Others are Gombe state (3 APC Senators), Imo ( 2 APC and 1 Labour party), Jigawa state (3 APC Senators ), Kaduna state ( 2 APC and 1 PDP), Kano state (2 APC and 1 NNPP), Katsina state (2 APC and 1 PDP) , Kebbi state (2 PDP and 1 APC), Kogi state (3 APC senators) and Kwara state ( 3 APC senators) .
State by State analysis include Lagos State (3 APC senators), Nasarawa state (2 APC and 1 Vacant seat), Niger state ( 3 APC Senators), Ogun state ( 3 APC Senators), Ondo state (2 PDP and 1 APC ), Osun state (2 APC and 1 PDP) and Oyo state ( 3 APC senators).
Others are: Plateau state ( 2 APC and 1 PDP), Rivers state ( 3 PDP Senators), Sokoto state ( 3 APC Senators), Taraba state ( 2 APC and 1 PDP), Yobe state ( 3 APC Senators) and Zamfara State ( 2 APC senators and 1 vacant seat) .
Going by realities on ground as regards party structures and strength, if elections are conducted for the three vacant seats in Nasarawa, Borno and Zamfara states today; APC will most likely win them but as it is now, it has 61 Senators, PDP 38, NNPP 3, YPP 2, APGA 1 and Labour party 1.
