Ruling party's shrinking majority in parliament

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) may not enjoy the clear dominance of the National Assembly that has been its lot since 1999, going by the results so far announced for Saturday's election.

The strong showing of such opposition parties as the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) indicate that the federal legislature may no longer be able to operate as if the nation were a one party state.

The defeat of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, was the first major indication that the party has lost more ground in the Southwest. That result was followed by another high profile loss in the state, when Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello lost her senatorial seat to the ACN's candidate.

Mr Bankole, however, quickly conceded defeat and called on politicians to shun violence.

"The exercise is a good omen in our national quest to entrench democracy in our nation," he said. "For me, the race was not a life-and-death duel. Of more importance is the building, maintenance and development of our democratic institutions and processes toward true national development and greatness."

The ACN sweep

The implications are however far reaching than the fall of these two. In 2007, the ACN, then known as the Action Congress, had only representatives from Lagos State in the National Assembly. This time around however, the party is sending senators from such PDP strongholds as Oyo, where the party has won the senatorial seats in Ibadan north and Oyo central. In the former district, Abiodun Awoleye of ACN polled 30,035 votes to beat Kazeem Adeniyi of the Accord Party into second place. In Oyo central, Ayo Adeseun of the ACN polled 105,975 votes to defeat Jumoke Akinjide of the PDP.