Senator Ipalibo Banigo, representing Rivers West Senatorial District, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement came during plenary at the Senate on Tuesday, when Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Banigo’s letter of defection on the floor. In the letter, the senator formally notified her colleagues of her decision to leave the PDP and join the APC.
Senator Banigo cited extensive consultations with her constituents, political associates, and key stakeholders in Rivers State as the driving force behind the move. She emphasized that the defection is aimed at aligning her political stance with that of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whom she described as a leader focused on advancing development and progress in the state.
Furthermore, Banigo expressed her support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that joining the APC would enable her to contribute more effectively to national development initiatives and ensure better representation for her district.
The Rivers West lawmaker becomes one of the prominent figures from the PDP to cross over to the APC in recent times, particularly in the South-South region where political realignments have been ongoing amid tensions within the PDP. Her defection leaves the PDP with reduced representation from Rivers State in the upper chamber, as she was reportedly one of the few remaining PDP senators from the state.
Senator Banigo, a medical doctor by profession and former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, has been a notable voice in the Senate since her election. Her switch to the APC is expected to bolster the ruling party’s presence in the Niger Delta region.