The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC is still in full control of the Senate as it outnumbers the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party with two Senators.
Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan revealed this at a press conference on Tuesday after a 2-hour intense meeting with the APC caucus in the Senate.
Lawan said; “You’ll recall that some members of our family, the APC family gave a list that they have decamped from the APC to the PDP and other parties, the APC in particular. It is with a heavy heart that we have to watch our brothers and sisters in the APC caucus take the action they did.
“And we still are optimistic and confident that we will work with our leaders of the APC to bring back our colleagues who had gone.
“The essence of this press briefing is to let you know that even though some of our colleagues have left, the APC remains the majority party in the Senate in terms of numbers. Out of the 109 senators, APC has 52, the PDP has 50, ADC has three and APGA has two. And you’ll recall that we lost two of our colleagues. So we have two vacant seats and the total gives you 109.”
“I want to assure you that by the grace of God, INEC will conduct the by-elections, the APC will win because these are our safest seats.
“In addition, we are still expecting some of our colleagues in the original PDP who have expressed willingness to join the APC.
“For our colleagues that have left, we are still optimistic that many of them or all of them will have a change of heart.
“APC remains the majority party in the Senate. I will not be speaking for the House of Reps but I want to tell you too that APC remains 0the majority party too in the House of Reps.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that APC remains the majority and this majority will continue to support Mr. President to ensure that we fulfill our campaign promises. I have a list, we don’t do our things like others do, we back whatever we say with facts.”
Mr. Lawan brought out a list where he read the names of the 52 senators he claimed to be in APC.
They include; Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi), Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto), Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara), Kabir Marafa (Zamfara), Tijjani Kaura(Zamfara), Abu Ibrahim (Katsina), Umar Kurfi (Katsina), Kabir Gaya (Kano), Barau Jibrin (Kano), Abdullahi Gumel (Jigawa), Sabo Mohammed (Jigawa), Shehu Sani (Kaduna), Ahmed Lawan (Yobe), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe), Ali Ndume (Borno), Abu Kyari (Borno), Baba Kaka Garbai (Borno),
Sabi Abdullahi (Niger), David Umar (Niger), Mustapha Muhammed (Niger), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), George Akume (Benue), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Francis Alimikhena (Edo), Andrew Uchendu (Rivers), Magnus Abe (Rivers), Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta), John Enoh (Cross River), Nelson Effiong (Akwa Ibom), Andy Uba (Anambra), Sonni Ogbuoji (Ebonyi), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Ben Uwajimogu (Imo), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa), Ahmed Abubakar (Adamawa), Yusuf A. Yusuf (Taraba).
Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos), Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos), Solomon Adeola (Lagos), Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo), Gbolahan Dada (Ogun), Soji Akanbi (Oyo), Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo), Yele Omogunwa (Ondo), Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo), Babajide Omoworare (Osun), Sola Adeyeye (Osun), Fatimat Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti).
Lawan said the number of PDP senators could even be less than 50 as the party expelled one of its senators recently.