Which political party of the second republic had the highest number of representatives in the national assembly?

Analyze the question: It asks which party of Nigeria's Second Republic (1979-1983) held the most seats in the National Assembly (Senate plus House of Representatives).

Concept: The Second Republic began with the 1979 elections. Five parties took part: NPN, UPN, NPP, GNPP and PRP. The results of the 1979 National Assembly elections were:

| Party | Senate seats (of 95) | House of Reps seats (of 449) | |---|---|---| | NPN (Shehu Shagari) | 36 | 168 | | UPN (Obafemi Awolowo) | 28 | 111 | | NPP (Nnamdi Azikiwe) | 16 | 78 | | GNPP (Waziri Ibrahim) | 8 | 43 | | PRP (Aminu Kano) | 7 | 49 |

Solution:

• NPN had the most Senate seats (36) and the most House of Representatives seats (168).
• UPN came second in both houses.
• No other party came close to the NPN's numbers.

The NPN also won the presidency (Shagari) and the largest number of states. Its strength was nationwide, though it was strongest in the North. It remained the largest party in the 1983 elections as well.

Answer: B. National Party of Nigeria (NPN)

Tip: For Second Republic questions, remember the order of party strength in 1979 as N-U-N-P-G, roughly NPN > UPN > NPP > PRP/GNPP. Also match the leaders to their parties: Shagari = NPN, Awolowo = UPN, Azikiwe = NPP, Aminu Kano = PRP, Waziri Ibrahim = GNPP.