By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The Senate caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has shrunk further to 17 members following the defection of Senator Ipalibo Banigo, representing Rivers West, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Banigo’s defection, announced at plenary on Tuesday by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, reduced the PDP’s representation in the upper chamber from 18 to 17 senators—far below the 36 lawmakers the party had when the 10th Senate was inaugurated in June 2023.
The development underscores the growing erosion of the opposition party’s presence in the Senate, amid indications that more defections could follow in the coming days.
Akpabio disclosed during plenary that several other senators had already submitted letters indicating their intention to switch parties, but the announcements were temporarily halted following the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East.
According to the Senate President, the chamber resolved to suspend plenary until Wednesday in honour of the late lawmaker.
“I have received several letters from other senators indicating their intention to defect,” Akpabio told lawmakers, suggesting that the ongoing political realignments in the Senate are far from over.
Sources within the National Assembly indicated that at least six of the remaining PDP senators may defect either to the All Progressives Congress or the African Democratic Congress (ADC) later in the week.
In her letter read on the Senate floor, Banigo said her decision to leave the PDP was informed by the need to operate on a “stable and progressive platform” capable of advancing the legislative and developmental interests of her constituency and the country.
She attributed her defection to the internal crises and protracted leadership disputes that have plagued the PDP in recent times.
“I am convinced that the All Progressives Congress offers a more stable and progressive platform to advance the legislative and developmental agenda of my constituency and the nation at large,” she said.
Banigo also said her decision aligns with the political positions of key leaders in Rivers State, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, both of whom have backed the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to her, joining the APC would enable her to support Tinubu’s policies and contribute to the President’s re-election bid.
“This decision is also predicated on my resolve to join my political mentor, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, in supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in actualising his re-election bid,” she said.
She further commended the President’s role in promoting political stability in Rivers State through reconciliation efforts.
Speaking with journalists after the plenary, Banigo said the infrastructural projects executed by the Tinubu administration in Rivers State also influenced her decision to join the ruling party.
She cited the long-awaited Bonny Road project as a major example of federal government intervention in the state.
“We have had a lot of infrastructural projects completed. In my state, there was one major legacy project that had been in the pipeline for decades, and it never seemed like it would be completed,” she said.
“But in his tenure now, he has taken the bull by the horns, and we now have the Bonny Road, which was opened around Christmas. I drove through that road when I went to flag it off on December 20, and it is wonderful.
“The Bonny people are very happy about it. It has made trade easier, transportation simpler, and reduced the fear of sea pirates. Communication is now much better. This is just one of many other projects.”
Banigo’s defection reflects the shifting political dynamics in the Senate since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.
At the start of the Assembly, the APC controlled 59 seats but now commands 81 senators following a wave of defections from opposition parties.
In contrast, the PDP’s representation has dropped sharply from 36 senators to 17.
The Labour Party, which began the term with eight senators, currently has none, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has been reduced from two senators to one.
Similarly, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has lost both of its senators.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which had no senator at the beginning of the 10th National Assembly, now holds five seats.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) maintains one senator.
A newly registered political party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), also has one senator, Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West.
The Senate currently has 106 serving members, three short of the constitutionally required 109 seats.
The vacant seats are Nasarawa North, following the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki; Enugu North, which became vacant after the death of Senator Okechukwu Ezea; and Rivers South-East, left vacant by the demise of Mpigi.
