The Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ipablibo Banigo-Harry, has reacted to her disqualification from the All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial primaries for the district.
Speaking with journalists on Monday at her ward in Obuama, Harry’s Town, Degema Local Government Area, Banigo-Harry maintained that she is still a serving senator and believes she ought to have been cleared to participate in the contest.
The former Deputy Governor of Rivers State faulted the decision, warning that the APC risks losing experienced female politicians at a time when national attention is focused on increasing women’s participation in governance.
She said, “National politics is where you have to bring out your best, so that you can also bring back the best to your state.
“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-positive and gender-sensitive.
“In his speech before the primaries, he advocated that women should be given a chance when they are qualified.
“I am a serving senator, a sitting and serving senator, so I do believe I should be given this respect.”
Banigo-Harry appealed for calm among her supporters while calling on the national leadership of the APC to urgently intervene in the matter and address the situation.
“By this, I’m also pleading with our great national party, the All Progressives Congress, to look into this matter and do the right thing because I’m sure they are capable of putting the records right.
“They should look at this in terms of equity, justice, fairness and gender.
“We have only four women in the National Assembly, and this is a time when we are seeking to add more.
“Those who are already there have a lot of legislative experience, which would have been needed as they move into their second tenure.”
