A major opposition party at the national level in Nigeria's Second Republic was

Analyze the question: The question asks which party was a major opposition party at the national level during Nigeria's Second Republic (1979-1983).

Concept: In the Second Republic, five political parties were registered and contested the 1979 elections:

• NPN (National Party of Nigeria) – led by Shehu Shagari; the ruling party at the centre
• UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria) – led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo
• NPP (Nigeria People's Party) – led by Nnamdi Azikiwe
• GNPP (Great Nigeria People's Party) – led by Waziri Ibrahim
• PRP (People's Redemption Party) – led by Aminu Kano

(NNP, the National Nigeria Party, is not a Second Republic party; the "NNP" option is a distractor. The NNPP/NPP and similar names cause confusion.)

Step-by-step solution:

1. The ruling party at the centre was the NPN, so the answer must be an opposition party.
2. The options are NNP, UPN, PRP and GNPP.
3. NNP did not exist in the Second Republic, so it is eliminated.
4. UPN, PRP and GNPP were all opposition parties. However, the UPN was the strongest and most prominent. It won the most states among the opposition (Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Bendel) and had the second-largest presence in the National Assembly, making it the main opposition at the national level.
5. PRP (won Kano and Kaduna) and GNPP (won Borno and Gongola) were smaller, regionally based parties.

Answer: The UPN, which is option B.

Tip: Remember the Second Republic parties with the phrase "Now Unity Needs Great People": NPN, UPN, NPP, GNPP, PRP. Also, whenever you see "NNP" in a Second Republic question, suspect it is a distractor.