Rivers West Senator Banigo Defects APC

ABUJA – Senator Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, representing Rivers West Senatorial District, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The announcement came during Tuesday’s plenary session when Senate President Godswill Akpabio read her defection letter on the floor of the upper chamber.

In the letter titled “Notice of Formal Defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress,” Banigo stated: “I write to formally inform you and my distinguished colleagues in the Senate of my decision to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and subsequently join the All Progressives Congress (APC).” She explained that the move followed “extensive consultations with my constituents, my political associates, and critical stakeholders across my senatorial district,” citing “prevailing internal divisions, protracted leadership disputes, and ongoing litigations within the People’s Democratic Party, which have adversely affected cohesion.”

The former two-term Deputy Governor of Rivers State under Nyesom Wike said she was aligning with her political mentor, the FCT Minister, and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and his Renewed Hope Agenda. “This decision is also predicated on my resolve to join my political mentor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in supporting President Bola Tinubu, to actualize his re-election bids and enable the President to continue his evident economic reforms,” the letter added. She specifically praised Tinubu’s “fatherly role in fostering political stability and strengthening governance in Rivers State” and commended First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her initiatives.

Speaking with Senate correspondents after the plenary, Banigo reiterated that she joined the APC to back President Tinubu’s re-election and to push for continued development in Rivers State, pointing to ongoing infrastructural projects such as the Bonny Road initiative.

Senate President Akpabio welcomed the Rivers West lawmaker to the APC fold, noting that “a seat is already prepared” for her and other intending defectors. The move has further weakened the PDP in the 10th Senate, reducing its numbers from 18 to 17 senators (down from 36 at the inauguration in June 2023). The APC now boasts 80 to 81 senators, depending on current vacancies.

As previously reported by NaijaChoice News, the PDP has continued to haemorrhage members in Rivers State and at the national level amid prolonged internal crises, leadership tussles, and strategic realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. Banigo’s defection, coming barely 24 hours after similar shifts elsewhere, underscores the growing momentum of politicians seeking a more stable platform to deliver on constituency projects and national development goals.

Political observers believe the move will strengthen APC’s hold in the South-South, especially as Banigo pledges to work closely with both Governor Fubara and Minister Wike in advancing President Tinubu’s economic and infrastructural vision for Rivers State.

The development has already sparked reactions across political circles, with many describing it as a major boost for the ruling party’s consolidation in the oil-rich state. Senator Banigo, a medical doctor-turned-politician, assured her constituents of uninterrupted representation and better delivery under the APC umbrella.