The All Progressives Congress (APC) still commands a nine-man margin majority at the Nigerian Senate.
With 56 Senators still pledging allegiance to it, APC continues to maintain a lead it launched at the start of the eighth Senate.
The party’s majority is in spite of the fact the wave of defections last year which saw the Senate President joining his deputy in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Numerical confusion
From 1999 when Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Senate is constitutionally drafted to compose of 109 Senators: three from each of the 36 states totalling 108, and the last one from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The eighth Senate started with Kwara Central Senator, Bukola Saraki, as its president.
Officially, the APC had 64 Senators and PDP 50 for most part of 2018 but this changed in the seventh month following a spate of defections.
Mr Saraki won his election under APC but in July 2018, he defected to the PDP fuelling confusion on his stand as president and further, on the majority/ minority composition of the Senate.
One week before this, some 15 APC lawmakers had announced their defection from the party, 14 immediately joining PDP and the last, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The new numerical difference between the two parties then stood at 52 for APC to 50 from PDP.
Releasing a list of names of the APC lawmakers then, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, was optimistic that some of the defecting senators would have a rethink and return to the APC while emphasising that his party still has a majority.
In one of the numerous reactions that followed, senators Isa Misau and Rafiu Ibrahim, in a joint statement, warned against any move to impeach Mr Saraki, noting that PDP lawmakers in the Senate outnumber those of APC. That was in August, 2018.
The controversy lingered until the Senate went on break in December.
Count
Upon resumption for the New Year in January 16, the Senate was expected to call for a head-count to determine the party composition of the Senate. This did not happen.
Apart from the fact that only a few senators attend plenaries, at no time did the leadership of the Senate contemplate making a count.
The APC still has the larger numerical strength at the Senate.
The check shows that the party has 56 senators currently in the Senate although some of them are not eligible for re-election.
PDP, which controls the leadership, has 47 senators.
The other six are shared among the minor parties: ADC, with three Senators; All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) having one each.
When reached for comments, Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, did not answer calls. He also did not respond to text messages.
His deputy, Ben Murrau-Bruce, could not be reached on his known line.
See the full break down below:
1. Abia State
Central Theodore Orji PDP
South Enyinnaya Abaribe PDP
North Mao Ohuabunwa PDP
2. Adamawa State
Central Abdul-Aziz Nyako ADC
North Binta Masi Garba APC
South Ahmad Abubakar APC
3. Akwa Ibom State
Northwest Godswill Akpabio APC
South Nelson Effiong APC
Northeast Bassey Akpan PDP
4. Anambra State
North Stella Oduah PDP
South Andy Uba APC
Central Victor Umeh APGA
5. Bauchi State
South Lawan Gumau APC
North Sulaiman Nazif PDP
Central Isah Misau PDP
6. Bayelsa State
East Ben Murray-Bruce PDP
Central Emmanuel Paulker PDP
West Foster Ogola PDP
7. Benue State
Northeast Barnabas Gemade SDP
Northeast George Akume APC
South David Mark PDP
8. Borno State
South Ali Ndume APC
North Abubakar Kyari APC
Central Baba Garba APC
9. Cross River State
South Gershom Bassey PDP
Central John Enoh APC
North Rose Okoji Oko PDP
10. Delta State
North Peter Nwaboshi PDP
Central Ovie Omo-Agege APC
South James Manager PDP
11. Ebonyi State
Central Obinna Ogba PDP
South Sunday Ogbuoji APC
North Sam Ominyi Egwu PDP
12. Edo State
North Francis Alimikhena APC
South Matthew Urhoghide PDP
Central Ordia Clifford PDP
13. Ekiti State
North Duro Faseyi PDP
Central Fatimat Raji-Rasaki APC
South Biodun Olujimi PDP
14. Enugu State
East Gilbert Nnaji PDP
West Ike Ekweremadu PDP
North Utazi Chukwuka PDP
15. Gombe State
Central Danjuma Goje APC
South Joshua Lidani APC
North Usman Nafada PDP
16. Imo State
West Hope Uzodinma APC
East Samuel Anyanwu PDP
North Ben Uwajumogu APC
17. Jigawa State
North Muhammed Ubali Shitu PDP
Northwest Abdullahi Gumel APC
Southwest Mohammed Sabo APC
18. Kaduna State
Central Shehu Sani PRP
North Suleiman Hunkuyi PDP
South Danjuma Laah PDP
19. Kano State
North Jibrin I. Barau APC
South Kabiru Gaya APC
Central Rabiu Kwankwaso PDP
20. Katsina State
Central Kurfi Umaru APC
South Abu Ibrahim APC
North Ahmad Babba-Kaita APC
21. Kebbi State
Central Adamu Aliero APC
South Bala Naallah APC
North Yahaya Abdullahi APC
22. Kogi State
Central Ahmed Ogembe PDP
East Atai AIidoko Ali PDP
West Dino Melaye PDP
23. Kwara State
North Shaaba Lafiagi PDP
South Rafiu Ibrahim PDP
Central Bukola Saraki PDP
24. Lagos State
East Gbenga Ashafa APC
Central Oluremi Tinubu APC
West Olamilekan Adeola APC
25. Nasarawa State
North Philip Aruwa Gyunka PDP
South Suleiman Adokwe PDP
West Abdullahi Adamu APC
26. Niger State
East David Umaru APC
South Sani Mohammed APC
North Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi APC
27. Ogun State
Central Olanrewaju Tejuoso APC
East Buruji Kashamu PDP
West Gbolahan Dada APC
28. Ondo State
Central Omotayo Alasoadura APC
North Robert Boroffice APC
South Yele Omogunwa APC
29. Osun State
Central Olusola Adeyeye APC
East Omoworare Babajide APC
West Ademola Adeleke PDP
30. Oyo State
North Abdulfatai Buhari APC
South Rilwan Akanbi ADC
Central Monsurat Sunmonu ADC
31. Plateau State
South Jeremiah Useni PDP
North Johan Jang PDP
Central Joshua Dariye APC
32. Rivers State
East Magnus Abe APC
Southeast Andrew Uchendu APC
West Osinakachukwu Ideozu APC
33. Sokoto State
South Ibrahim Danbaba PDP
North Aliyu Wamakko APC
East Ibrahim Gobir APC
34. Taraba State
South Emmanuel Bwacha PDP
North Abubakar Sani PDP
Central Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf APC
35. Yobe State
North Ahmed Lawan APC
South Mohammed Hassan APC
East Bukar Ibrahim APC
36. Zamfara State
North Tijjani Kaura APC
Central Kabir Garba APC
West Ahmad Sani PDP
37. Federal Capital Territory PDP
Philip Aduda Tanimu
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