The Senate was plunged into mourning on Thursday following the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi, the lawmaker representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works.
A National Assembly source confirmed that Mpigi died on Thursday at the age of 64 after a brief illness.
Until his death, Mpigi was a prominent figure in the 10th National Assembly, chairing the influential Committee on Works, which oversees federal road infrastructure and related national projects.
News of his passing filtered into the Senate chamber during plenary and committee proceedings, casting a sombre mood over lawmakers who had gathered for budget defence sessions.
Speaking during a session of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, the lawmaker representing Nasarawa South, Senator Mohammed Onawo, paid glowing tribute to the late Rivers senator.
“Senator Mpigi was a dedicated legislator who brought diligence and passion to his duties. His contributions to the Senate and the nation will not be forgotten,” Onawo said.
He urged his colleagues to honour the deceased lawmaker’s legacy, after which senators observed a minute’s silence in his honour.
Another lawmaker, Senator Ogoshi, added, “May his gentle soul rest in peace. We have lost a colleague, a friend, and a patriot.”
Tributes also poured in from the House of Representatives, with Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, describing Mpigi as a close friend and committed public servant.
“Good night, my dear friend. Rest in peace, Senator Mpigi Barinada. He represented Rivers South-East in the Senate with dedication,” Alabi wrote on his official X handle.
Mpigi’s legislative career began in the House of Representatives, where he was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2016. He later moved to the Senate in 2019 after winning election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
During the 9th National Assembly, he chaired a joint Senate committee set up to investigate crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, a critical assignment at a time Nigeria faced declining oil revenues and rampant pipeline vandalism.
His death comes barely three months after the demise of Senator Okey Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District in the 10th Senate, raising fresh concerns over the spate of deaths among serving lawmakers.
With Mpigi’s passing, the Senate has once again lost a serving member, deepening the sense of grief within the National Assembly and among political leaders across the country.
