The membership of the Senate has further numbers reduced, following the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District. The lawmaker, who was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, reportedly died at the age of 64 after a brief illness.

News of his death was confirmed at the budget defence session the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism had with the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy yesterday, where lawmakers and others had a a minute silence in honour of the deceased.

Speaking during the session, the Committee Chairman, Senator Mohammed Onawo Ogoshi (APC Nasarawa South), paid glowing tribute to the late Rivers Senator and urged his colleagues to honour his memory.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, paid tribute to the late Senator on his official X handle on Thursday. He wrote, “Good night, my dear friend. Rest in Peace, Senator Mpigi Barinada. Sen Mpigi represented Rivers South East in the Senate”.

Mpigi’s death came barely three months after the Senate lost Senator Okey Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly

. The late Rivers lawmaker began his legislative career in the House of Representatives, where he was first elected in 2011 and reelected in 2016.

He later moved to the Senate in 2019 after winning an election to represent Rivers South-East on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and reelected in 2023 on the same platform before he recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) along with other lawmakers from the state.