Seven Nigerians elected in the British House of Commons following yesterday's general election

SEVEN Nigerians have been elected as members of the British Parliament following yesterday's general election that had been hurriedly called by Prime Minister Theresa May to resolve the ongoing Brexit crisis.

Called to strengthen the prime minister's hand as she seeks to negotiate the Britain's exit from the European Union, the elections have however, resulted in a hung parliament. No party has an overall majority with the Conservatives expected to have 319 seats, the Labour Party 261, the Scottish National Party 35, the Liberal Democrats 12, Sinn Fein 7, Plaid Cymru 4 and the Green Party 1.

Of the 650 MPs elected, seven are Nigerian with the Labour Party returning Chuka Umunna in Streatham, Chi Onwurah in Newcastle Central, Kate Osamor in Edmonton and Fiona Onasanya in Peterborough. For the Conservative Party, Bimbola Afolami was elected in Hitchin & Harpenden, Kemi Badenock was elected in Saffron Walden, while Helen Grant was returned in Maidstone &  The Weald.

It now looks like the Conservatives have emerged as the biggest party but are projected to fall eight seats short of an overall majority, so will enter into an alliance with the hardline Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. A visibly shaken Mrs May said during the night that the Conservative Party would fulfil its duty to ensure stability as the start of Brexit negotiations loom later in the month.

Senior Conservative figures said she might be forced to quit and Tory MP Anna Soubry said the prime minister should consider her position after running a disastrous campaign. Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, celebrated a night of progress for his party and called on Mrs May to resign.

It could be that another election is called later on in the year now as the lack of a party with a working majority may lead to a vote of no confidence passed in the government. Mrs May is particularly vulnerable after in Europe when she goes to negotiate Britain's exit from the EU, as she no longer has a working majority in parliament.