The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified former Rivers State Deputy Governor and incumbent senator, Ipalibo Banigo, from seeking re-election to the Senate.
Banigo, who served as deputy governor between 2015 and 2023 under former Governor, Nyesom Wike, was among the aspirants disqualified ahead of Monday’s senatorial primary.
In a statement released on Sunday, the APC listed other disqualified aspirants from Rivers West Senatorial District, including Ojukaye Flag Amachree, Tamunobaabo Wemike Danagogo, and businessman Jack-Rich Tien.
However, allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, including Felix Obuah, Allwell Onyeosoh, Osarosaka Ebenezer and Barry Mwara, were cleared to contest.
The party did not state reasons for the disqualifications, but some political observers linked the decision to alleged disloyalty to Wike.
An APC House of Assembly aspirant, who spoke on condition of anonymity with Vanguard, alleged that Banigo’s disqualification might be connected to her neutral position during the political crisis between Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The aspirant said, “Though she was Wike’s deputy for eight years and it was Wike that made it possible for her to go to the Senate, the woman did not like the way Fubara was treated like somebody’s houseboy.
“The same thing applied to Danagogo. He was SSG in Wike’s government and served in that same position under Governor Fubara. It is obvious that he too did not publicly align with Wike during the crisis period, hence, his disqualification.”
Reacting, a rights activist, Solomon Lenu, warned that the development could trigger an internal crisis in the APC ahead of 2027.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may be the last President APC will have after 2027, if the party survives what is coming. There is a possibility that some of these people who have been disqualified without any genuine reason may remain in the party and work against its success.
“This is no democracy. Why should people be denied the opportunity of testing their popularity at the polls? Everybody should go out and test his/her popularity without any let,” Lenu added.