By Oguwike Nwachuku
In 2015, TheNiche interviewed Victor Umeh, former National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) on why he wanted to go to the National Assembly (NASS).
He said: “We need effective representation at the national level where our representatives could make it a routine to hold meetings with the governor, take the needs of the state to the National Assembly and pursue those needs for provisions to be made for them in their appropriation; so that while the governor is doing his utmost best with the resources available to him in the state, we at the National Assembly will be able to attract federal benefits to the state.
“It’s not something we can achieve through discordant approach where some people will belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and then have very poor relationship with the governor who is in charge of the state.
“We have demonstrated in Anambra that APGA is a party God has brought out to make the state a great one and, of course, go beyond the state to help our people in this part of the country. That is why we must continue to build that strength.
“And this time around, we have nominated very credible, tested candidates, and those our people can trust.”
Neither Umeh nor the other two senatorial candidates of the APGA – Ernest Ndukwe, former Executive Vice Chairman of the National Communication Commission (NCC) (for Anambra South), and Dubem Obazie, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters (for Anambra North) – were declared winner.
Of the 11 House of Representatives APGA candidates that stood for election in 2015, only a few were successful, giving the notion that the then PDP “rigging machine” frustrated the efforts APGA made.
Of the three senatorial candidates, only Umeh was courageous enough to follow through to a logical conclusion, in tortuous court processes, his fight against the irregularities in the election.
From the tribunal to the Appeal Court and Supreme Court, landmines were laid to ensure he never got elected as a Senator.
But the ways of men are different from the ways of God.
The huge challenges were eventually brought to a glorious end when the Supreme Court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold a rerun poll, which was fixed for January 13, 2018, in which Umeh was elected.
He faced a barrage of attacks in the build up to the rerun, which he confirmed when he campaigned in Abagana, headquarters of Njikoka Local Government Area.
He said he incurred the wrath of some people because of his dogged fight to keep APGA alive.
Umeh claimed that as part of plans by his opponents to undermine his interest and shortchange the senatorial zone, they recorded and sent his campaign speeches to the powers that be in Abuja to portray him as an enemy of both his people and those in the corridors of power.
Matters were made worse when he realised that he had fought and defeated many of his opponents for more than 15 years under APGA, a tool his detractors capitalised on to brand him their enemy.
His words: “My offence is that I fought and defended APGA. They will continue to pursue me.
“For 15 years I have laboured for APGA. There are some people who through my work left the party. But when APGA won in 2003 someone else took the position I fought and reclaimed it.
“Those who vowed Obiano would not go for a second term have vanished. So, a lot of things are said about me. A lot also say ill of me. They should not be angry. It is my destiny.
“As for the Saturday election (January 13, 2018), it must hold. God has said so.
“But we have not been where we are supposed to be. If election is conducted and I win, we shall begin a new dawn.
“Many people have started joining APGA and today at Dunukofia rally, Ike Dunukofia joined us and here Francis Okoye, popularly known as Oyi Umunri, declared for APGA.”
From the beginning, not a few people wanted to give Umeh the opportunity to serve in the Senate for reasons other than politics.
Some may be surprised that I am still making a case for Umeh despite the charade of the APGA primaries in Imo and elsewhere that made many people lose confidence in the party.
However, despite the ill feelings over the primaries, which I have X-rayed in this column as “APGA Imo bazaar and shameless undertakers,” Umeh is my friend and brother, and he will continue to be until I have reason to doubt his credibility, integrity and sincerity of purpose.
I have read some confidential mails he shared with me about aggrieved chieftains of APGA (some of who participated in the Imo governorship primaries) on alleged culpability of Umeh and other APGA top shots in the exercise.
On matters of allegation, I take written evidence more seriously than oral evidence because, as Jan Vansina, an authority in oral tradition/history would say, “a retentive memory is weaker than the palest ink.”
What gave me goose pimples, and still does, while analysing Umeh’s mails was a line where he swore with his life and the lives of his family members to buttress his innocence in the Imo APGA imbroglio.
No man, who is a father, husband, and who loves his family dearly and ready to give his all to that family, would stake the lives of family members for politics regardless of how crazy his ambition may be.
A man may put his own life on the line, but not those of his family members. I really felt for Umeh after reading that mail and tried to put myself in his shoes as a politician.
But beyond the recent attacks and threats to stop him, using the APGA primaries as a criteria, the main reason gleaned from his opponents is the fear that he will outshine them in national politics because of his outspokenness, wittiness, boldness, intelligence, courageousness, openness, and above all, love for community and mankind.
As I wrote prior to his election last year, I like to reiterate that “those who are working day and night to truncate Umeh’s reelection knowing full well that it is more or less a walk over are simply wasting their time.”
Anambra Central Senatorial District constituents are comparing Umeh’s barely one-year representation with the many years his predecessors spent in the Senate with little to show for enhancing the quality of life of the people.
I am not sure they want to continue to deal with the same selfish, greedy, wicked and even foolish former representatives who used the opportunity the masses provided for them as federal lawmakers to reduce them to drawers of water and hewers of wood.
Across the length and breadth of the senatorial district, the story is that Umeh is empowering his constituents to be tomorrow’s fishers of men. He is sowing seeds he wants to see germinate and yield fruits for the good of all in his district.
Everywhere he goes in his campaign, they describe him as a worthy son who has intervened where those before him failed. They want to return him to the Senate to consolidate on the gains reaped in less than one year of representation.
Why would they not want to reelect Umeh when his record under one year speaks volumes?
He has given full scholarship to 70 students and paid the school fees of many others; trained 161 youths in skill acquisition empowered with starter packs and cash donations for their own businesses; distributed tricycles to hundreds; and constructed a primary health centre in Oba.
He contributed to the bill on the establishment of the South East Development Commission; co-sponsored the “Federal University of Education Aguleri, Anambra State (Est, etc) Bill, 2018 (SB, 653)” with Senator Stella Oduah and sponsored a bill for the creation of the Theatre Art Professional Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria.
Motions Umeh attached include: “The Urgent Need to Include the Eastern Rail lines in the Nigerian Railway Development Project” and “Illegal Confinement of Underage Offenders and Infants In The Same Prison With Adult Prisoners.”
At a recent town hall meeting in Nnobi, speaker after speaker said Umeh is fulfilling promises through intervention in their education needs, welfare, youth/women (widows) empowerment, scholarships, outspokenness, motions and bills.
One described him as “a very intelligent, committed, competent, and best eleven representative” of Anambra Central. All overwhelmingly endorsed him for reelection.
My pity, really, is for Umeh’s opponents in the election on February 16, particularly Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was once his major challenger an still is for the February 16 contest.
Most Anambra Central Senatorial district constituents say they are tired of a politician who jumps from one party to another seeking opportunity to meet her personal needs and not the people’s.
They also see Ekwunife as belonging to that genre of representatives whose presence in the Senate after several years brought misery to the constituents unlike what they are experiencing under Umeh within a year.
Take it or leave it, Umeh is living in the minds of his constituents. His opponents are aware of this, hence they are rising in unison against him.
Whether that will deter Umeh is a different thing altogether. He reiterated his commitment to his constituents during a recent gathering of the presidents general and women leaders in Anambra Central.
He told them: “I am sure of myself. I will not betray you people. I am there not for myself but for my people. All I have done are in 10 months, imagine how much will be done in four years when I am reelected.
“If I stand reelected by February 16, I assure you that you will continue to hear my voice on important national issues especially the ones affecting Ndigbo and I’ll continue to make sure that everything belonging to my people are brought to them without losing anyone.
“It is better to elect people who are sincerely devoted to the cause of the people than those who will go there and seek for lucrative Senate committees to enrich themselves. I have made my stand known; my appearance and ideologies define me.
“Whenever they see me in my tall red cap, they know I am a proud Igbo man; therefore, they cannot relegate my people before me. Whenever issues concerning Ndigbo are being discussed, I must always try my best to ensure the interest of my people are fully represented.”
The question is: why would politicians want to stop Umeh simply because he will diminish their political relevance?
Is it Umeh who prevented them from refusing to do the right things, when they had the opportunity, in the interest of the people?
I once wrote here that “the stop Umeh by all means possible campaign is not about Umeh per se, but about the common people of his senatorial zone in particular and Anambra State in general who Umeh is out to serve from the depth of his heart.”
I have been vindicated again by what one of the constituents, Fred Chukwuelobe, posted on his Facebook wall.
Chukwuelobe wrote: “When the righteous is on the throne the people rejoice. This is one of the reasons the electorate in Anambra Central will return Distinguished Senator Victor Umeh, OFR, to the Senate.
“He touches lives through the various programmes he’s so far implemented.When he’s reelected more will come.
“These are in addition to his contributions on the floor of the Senate and at committee levels. So if you’re from Anambra Central, get your PVCs ready. We have work to do. And it is to re-elect Senator Umeh. Ohamadike when they see one.”
