Again PDP Suffers Setback in Senate as Banigo Ipalibo Defects to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday suffered another reduction in its number of Senators following the defection of Senator Banigo Ipalibo (Rivers West) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ipalibo’s defection to the APC, which was conveyed in a letter read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary, reduced the number of PDP Senators in the Senate from 18 to 17, far below the 36 Senators the party had at the inauguration of the 10th Senate in June 2023.
Even among the 17 Senators still on the PDP platform in the Senate, not fewer than six are said to be considering defection to either the APC or the African Democratic Congress (ADC) within the week.
This indication emerged from a disclosure made by Akpabio before reading Ipalibo’s letter, noting that other letters of defection had already been forwarded to him by the affected Senators.
According to Akpabio, many of such letters have been submitted for announcement but were temporarily held back in honour of the late Senator Mpigi Barinada (Rivers South East), whose death led the Senate to suspend plenary from Tuesday to Wednesday this week.
In her letter of defection, Ipalibo explained that her decision was driven by the need to align with a stable and progressive platform like the APC in order to advance the legislative and developmental agenda of her constituency and the nation at large, given that the PDP has been engulfed by internal divisions and prolonged leadership disputes since last year.
She added that her decision was also influenced by the need to join her political mentor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in supporting President Bola Tinubu to realise his re-election bid and continue his economic reforms.
She said:
“I am convinced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) offers a more stable and progressive platform to advance the legislative and developmental agenda of my constituency and the nation at large.
“This decision is also predicated on my resolve to join my political mentor, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo 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 and enabling the President to continue his evident economic reforms, which have significantly improved the economic situation, enhanced currency stability, and driven numerous infrastructural developments across the country.
“I sincerely appreciate the President’s fatherly role in fostering political stability and strengthening governance in Rivers State, particularly through his peace-building and reconciliation efforts.”
Speaking with journalists after plenary, Ipalibo further explained that the infrastructural projects being executed in Rivers State by President Tinubu influenced her decision to join the APC in order to attract more development-driven projects.
“We have had a lot of infrastructural projects completed. For instance, in my state there was one major legacy project that had been in the pipeline for decades and it never seemed likely to be completed.
“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 time.
“I can tell you I drove down that road when I went to flag off the Bonny Road on Dec. 20, and it is just wonderful. The Bonny people are so happy about it.
“It has made trade much easier, transportation much simpler, the fear of sea pirates is no longer there, and communication has improved greatly. This is just one of many other projects,” she said.
The current configuration of Senators by party platform, compared to June 2023 when the 10th National Assembly commenced, now stands as follows: APC 81 from 59, PDP 17 from 36, Labour Party zero from 8, NNPP 1 from 2, SDP zero from 2, and APGA 1.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which had no Senator at the start of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023, now has five Senators, while the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has one Senator in the person of Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West).
The total number of serving Senators is now 106, compared to the constitutional 109. The three 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, which became vacant following the demise of Senator Barinada Mpigi.