Opposition Senators from Rivers Move to Ruling Party in the Senate

Abuja – Tuesday December 2025

Two opposition senators from Rivers State have defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate.

The senators are Senator Mpigi Barinada, who represents Rivers South East Senatorial District, and Senator Allwell Onyesoh, representing Rivers East Senatorial District.

In separate letters formally read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, the lawmakers attributed their decision to what they described as deep and unresolved internal divisions within the PDP at various levels of the party.
They stated that the persistent crises within the opposition party had made it difficult for them to effectively serve their constituents, prompting their decision to join the APC.

The defection of the two senators increases the number of APC members in the Senate to 78, further strengthening the numerical strength of the ruling party in the upper legislative chamber.
A delegation from the National Secretariat of the APC was present in the Senate chamber to witness the formal defection and to officially welcome the lawmakers into the party.