The Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Dr Ipalibo Banigo-Harry, has broken her silence over her disqualification from the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election.
Banigo-Harry is the immediate past deputy governor of the state, having served under former governor Nyesom Wike.
Speaking to journalists at her ward in Obuama, Degema Local Government Area of the state, shortly after receiving women and other supporters who came to welcome her on Monday, Banigo-Harry said she is a serving senator and deserves to be cleared.
She said the APC could not afford to disqualify experienced women, especially at a time when lawmakers are advocating greater inclusion of women in politics.
“National politics is where you have to bring out your best so that you can also bring the best back to your state,” Banigo-Harry stated.
She, however, urged her supporters to remain calm while expressing confidence that the ruling party at the national level would look into the matter.
Banigo-Harry also appealed to President Bola Tinubu, who she said had consistently advocated giving qualified women opportunities in governance, to intervene in the matter.
She stated, “So I don’t want you to be agitated at all. When the time comes, you will still do the needful. And I believe that our President is very gender-sensitive.”
The former Rivers State deputy governor continued, “In his speech before the primaries, he advocated that women should be given a chance when they are qualified.
“I’m a serving senator, a sitting and serving senator. So I do believe that I should be given this district (Rivers West).
“By this, I am also appealing to our great national party, the All Progressives Congress, to look into this matter and do the right thing because I am sure they are capable of putting the records right,” she stated.
“They should look at this in terms of equity, justice, fairness and gender. We have only four women in the Senate and this is a time when we are seeking to add more.
“Those female senators who are already there have a lot of legislative experience, which they would need to build on as they go into their second tenure,” Banigo-Harry added.
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