APC Retains Control Of National Assembly As INEC Announces Results

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the breakdown of results for the national assembly elections held on Saturday, February 25.

Gatekeepers News reports that the INEC chairperson, Yakubu Mahmood, said 98 out of 109 senate seats have been declared while in the house of representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been decided.

The electoral body said winners have been declared for 423 national assembly seats while supplementary elections will be held in 46 constituencies.

In the senate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) controls 57 seats while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now has 28 and Labour Party (LP) has six.

The ruling party also dominates the house of representatives with 162 seats, the major opposition party PDP has 102 and LP controls 34.

The INEC boss also addressed the logistics and technical issues that marred the presidential and national assembly elections.

He said: “Do doubt, last week’s national elections raised a number of issues that require immediate, medium, and long-term solutions. The planning for the election was painstakingly done. However, its implementation came with challenges, some of them unforeseen. The issues of logistics, election technology, behaviour of some election personnel at different levels, attitude of some party agents and supporters added to the extremely challenging environment in which elections are usually held in Nigeria.

“We appreciate the sacrifice and doggedness of Nigerians and the dignity and maturity displayed by political leaders even in the context of divergent views about the election. A lot of lessons have been learnt. Of immediate concern to the Commission is how the identified challenges can be addressed as we approach the concluding phase of the General Election involving the largest number of constituencies i.e. 28 State Governorship elections and 993 State Houses of Assembly seats.

“In last Saturday’s elections, winners have also been declared for 423 national legislative seats while supplementary elections will be held in 46 constituencies. In the Senate, 98 out of 109 seats have been declared. So far, seven political parties have won senatorial seats while in the House of Representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been won by eight political parties.”

Mahmood described the 10th assembly as the most diverse national assembly since 1999.

He said certificates of return will be presented to senators-elect on Tuesday at the national collation centre, Abuja, while members of the house of representatives-elect will receive theirs on Wednesday.

The INEC chair said the comprehensive list of all members-elect will be uploaded to the commission’s website “shortly”.