ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District, Ipalibo Harry Banigo, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further reshaping the political balance in the upper legislative chamber .
Banigo’s defection letter was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, shortly after plenary resumed at the National Assembly . The lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, said her decision followed extensive consultations with constituents and political stakeholders in Rivers West Senatorial District .
In the letter dated March 2, 2026, the former Rivers State deputy governor cited lingering crises within the PDP as a major factor behind her decision .
“The decision follows extensive consultations with my constituents, my political associates, and critical stakeholders across my senatorial district, given the prevailing internal divisions, protracted leadership disputes, and ongoing litigations within the People’s Democratic Party, which have adversely affected cohesion,” Banigo stated .
She added that the APC now offers a more stable platform for advancing the legislative and developmental interests of her constituency .
Banigo also linked her move to the political realignment currently taking place in Rivers State, noting that she was aligning with her political mentor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara .
“This decision is also predicated on my resolve to join my political mentor, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, and the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, in supporting the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in actualising his re-election bid,” she stated .
Banigo further commended Tinubu’s leadership, saying the administration’s economic reforms had improved currency stability and driven infrastructural development .
With Banigo’s exit, the numerical strength of the PDP in the Senate has further dwindled. The PDP, which once held a dominant position in the upper chamber following the 2023 general elections, now has about 30 senators remaining on its platform out of the 109-member Senate . Following the lawmaker’s defection, the number of APC senators in the upper chamber has increased to 80, bringing the total number of female lawmakers within the APC caucus in the Senate to two .
The development follows Monday’s ruling by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria which reshaped the balance of power in the state’s political structure . Previously, six members of the House of Representatives and two senators from the state had defected to the APC .
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