As Nigerians prepare to go to the polls on March 28 and April 11, to elect their representatives at the National Assembly, it is perhaps pertinent to realise the need to consciously elect representatives that will be worthy ambassadors of their people, men and women whose sincerity of purpose in serving their people are not in doubt.
In Anambra State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has lined up quality candidates to contest for all the elective positions, except the presidency which the leadership of the party has conceded to President Goodluck Jonathan.
In Anambra Central where it seems there will be the fiercest battle for the Senate, the out-going National Chairman of APGA, Victor Umeh, is contesting with Sen. Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Sen. Annie Okonkwo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Umeh, as it were, is the leading contender among the pack, due to his doggedness and drive in championing the course of his people. At the National Conference, he left no one in doubt of his capacity and capability in offering quality representation for his people at the Senate. In the course of his campaign to sensitise the people of his zone why he is the candidate to take them out of Egypt, it has been an overwhelming endorsement of his candidature, even in the assumed stronghold of his opponents.
An obvious concession by his opponents is their crude way of accepting defeat, even before the election. In frustration, they have been destroying Umeh’s billboards in areas that are known to be their areas of abode and beyond. This is a clear indication that the man, Umeh, has clearly shown class in his style of campaign, particularly discussing issues, not individuals, issue-based campaigns, not discussing or castigating individuals as well as clearly showing in concrete terms that he has a lot to offer his people.
Centre for Igbo Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), on November 18, 2014, organised the first Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe Memorial Public Lecture on Nationalism and Leadership. It was an auspicious occasion where the Centre, in no small measure, chronicled why Umeh deserved to be so honoured, which distinguished him as a worthy ambassador of the Igbo nation.
It was one ceremony that threw up the various contributions of former president of Nigeria, the late Nnamdi Azikiwe, to nation building and his efforts at ensuring that Nigeria remained one indivisible nation.
Worthy of mention is the award conferred on Umeh, who bagged the Ikenga Ndigbo Excellence Award in Patriotic Igbo Leadership. Perhaps, the qualities that attracted this award to Umeh, who is one of the few Igbo leaders who have patriotically pursued the vision of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu for Ndigbo, could be seen in his leadership qualities in his service to his people.
At every given opportunity, Umeh had never failed to speak volumes of his desire to ensure that Ndigbo get there bona fide share as equal partners in the distribution of national infrastructure and the basic amenities that every part of Nigeria gets. He has never hidden his desire for the total emancipation of the Igbo nation in Nigeria.
Umeh said his acceptance of the award was in the belief that Ndigbo must unite to ensure the protection of their language and culture, adding that the culture and tradition the Igbo were and are known for should be preserved and kept alive.
This calls to mind why Umeh took up the challenge to represent his people at the National Assembly. What threw up this yearning of his people of Anambra Central and virtually all the people of Anambra was his disarming performance at the National Conference.
His arrival at the Confab gave impetus to the demands of Ndigbo for a better deal in the sharing of the national cake. He instantly became a game-changer and shone like a million stars with his contributions at the Confab. He almost became rebellious, all in his bid to ensure that Ndigbo took their rightful place in Nigeria’s political space.
A democrat and astute politician, Umeh has weathered all storms to keep APGA alive as the only identity for Ndigbo in national politics. The late Igbo Icon, Ojukwu, before he died, implored Umeh to ensure that his dreams for Ndigbo do not die. He has strived to live this dream and has continued to ward off all machinations of the enemies of Ndigbo to extinguish this flame lit by Ojukwu and handed over to Umeh.
One of the ways that he can keep this flame blazing is to now go to the National Assembly, and along with like minds, ensure that our people get their fair share of the national cake. He has led APGA through various struggles and came out victorious. Interestingly, he is always in the forefront of these struggles and therefore has the capacity and the strong will to offer the people of Anambra and the nation at large a strong representation at the National Assembly.
• Okeke is Special Assistant (Media) to Umeh.
