Nigeria’s political landscape was jolted on Thursday following reports of the sudden death of Senator Barinada Mpigi, the serving Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works and representative of Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
He was 64.
Though no official statement had been issued as of press time, sources confirmed the lawmaker passed away on Thursday, sending shockwaves across Rivers State and the National Assembly.
Born on June 23, 1961, Mpigi built a political career that spanned both chambers of the National Assembly. He first entered the House of Representatives in 2011, won re-election in 2016, and later secured a Senate seat in 2019 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Mpigi occupied one of the most strategic oversight positions in the upper chamber, supervising federal road infrastructure projects across the country. His committee routinely engaged ministries and contractors over stalled projects, funding concerns, and execution delays — placing him at the center of Nigeria’s infrastructure accountability framework.
During the Ninth Assembly, he chaired a joint Senate committee set up to investigate crude oil theft in the Niger Delta — a high-stakes assignment tied directly to Nigeria’s oil revenue losses. The probe involved oil companies, security agencies, and federal institutions, underscoring his role in one of the most sensitive legislative investigations in recent years.
At home in Rivers South-East, Mpigi was regarded as a key political bridge between Abuja and oil-producing riverine communities, consistently advocating federal attention and development in the region.
His sudden death leaves a significant vacuum within the Senate’s works oversight structure and in Rivers politics.
More details are expected as developments unfold.
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