The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday paid tribute to the late Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District. Earlier, The Port City News (TCPN) reported that Mpigi, who chaired the Senate Committee on Works, died on 19 February 2026 at the age of 64 after a brief illness.
Senate Leader Bamidele Opeyemi announced on his X page that the upper chamber honoured the late lawmaker by suspending plenary until Wednesday. Speaking during deliberations on the Senate floor, Opeyemi described Mpigi’s death as a deep shock that saddened members of the chamber.
He said the late senator, known for his humility, accessibility and commitment to the welfare of his constituents, left a void in the National Assembly. Opeyemi also requested a minute’s silence in line with the Senate’s longstanding parliamentary tradition of honouring deceased members. “May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
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The Senate Leader further disclosed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed lawmakers back from the break and reminded them that deliberations on the 2026 national budget remained one of the chamber’s key priorities.
According to him, Akpabio described the budget as a policy document that reflects the country’s development priorities and fiscal direction. Mpigi began his legislative career in the House of Representatives after he was elected in 2011 and returned for another term in 2015.
He later won election to the Senate in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Rivers South-East Senatorial District. During the 9th National Assembly, he chaired a joint Senate committee that investigated crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
His death occurred barely three months after the passing of Senator Okey Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District in the 10th Senate.
