Against all Odds, Umeh Makes History
The swearing in of a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh as the senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District is a dream come true for the APGA chieftain, writes David-Chyddy Eleke
His journey into the red chambers began in 2014, during the build up to the 2015 general election. It was Umeh’s birthday, and his friends and political allies ‘conspired’ and organised fo him a surprise birthday party in Awka. It turned out to be a political gathering as his friends and political followers left no stone unturned to impress their mentor, who was at that time the national chairman of the party and just getting prepared to leave office.
The venue of the event was decorated with all manner of banners, most of which bore inscriptions of who he was to different people, but inside the hall was a larger than life banner with the inscription; Chief Victor Umeh for senate, Anambra Central. Umeh was shocked when he entered the hall and was greeted with ‘a happy birthday’ chorus. He was further taken aback when he looked up and saw the big banner. For one, the man who is good at laying ambush for political opponent was ambushed!
Speaker after speaker spoke and all pointed to one direction. They insisted that there was the need to send Umeh to the Senate as a voice for Ndigbo. It was all joy when Umeh finally spoke, stating that he would heed the call. That was how the journey to the National Assembly began for Umeh.
It took Umeh three years since after the 2015 election, which he claimed he won to get to the Senate. After such a tortuous journey, and after defeating 13 others candidates overwhelmingly defeat on 13th January, Last Thursday, 18th January, Umeh appeared at the Senate for his swearing in.
It was a historic event, especially for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, which will be having its first senator from the state. At 10:53 a.m. the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki led other principal officers into the hallowed chambers of the Senate for the days activities. Shortly after, the Chief Whip took the floor and announced that there’s a swearing in ceremony and subsequently moved a motion to set aside the rules of the Senate to enable Chief Willie Obiano, the Governor of Anambra State, his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, some members of the House of Representatives from Anambra State, some members of the Anambra State House of Assembly, all of who had accompanied Umeh and his wife, Prica, attend the swearing in.
At 10:55 a.m. Victor Umeh took the Bible in his right hand and took the official oath of allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and oath of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as prescribed by Oaths Act 1990, and in less than 10 minutes, the deal was over, and the long red cap was officially admitted into the red chambers as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It was a day that could be described as an unofficial public holiday for Anambra people. With the governor, deputy governor, top commissioners and aides of the governor away to witness the swearing in ceremony, the state workforce can as well be said to have been set at a pause mode that day. That however was not enough as the Anambra State House of Assembly, which was billed to sit on that day quickly shelved its sitting, with the speaker and a good number of members storming the National Assembly for Umeh. This was not unexpected, as the house of assembly in Anambra is handsomely populated by members of Umeh’s APGA.
THISDAY reporter who was at the assembly to cover its plenary, especially the defence of the 2018 budget proposal, which was presented to the house by the governor in December 2017 and billed to be defended by some ministries learnt that the sitting would not hold as a result of the swearing in of the former national chairman of APGA. It was learnt that most of the members of the house of assembly had gone to Abuja ro show solidarity to Umeh.
Obinna Emenaka, a member of the house of assembly who represents Anambra East constituency told our correspondent that he was not aware if Umeh’s swearing in ceremony was the reason for the refusal of the house to sit. He said, “I was already preparing for sitting today, but received a text message from the speaker to inform us that there will not be sitting today. I cannot tell you it was because of Umeh’s swearing in, but I can only say that we received a message to notify us there will not be sitting today.”
The chairman house committee on information, Kingsley Iruba could not speak with our correspondent despite repeated calls to his phone.
Meanwhile, the swearing-in of Umeh as senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District threw his constituents into instant jubilation at about midday, when the news broke. As soon as the news of the swearingin filtered into Awka the state capital city members of the constituency, APGA faithfuls, and Umeh’s well wishers fell into a bout of celebration.
Some members of the party who spoke to our correspondent said that they were happy that at last, Umeh made it to the Senate. Chief Nnaemeka Orji, a stalwart of APGA in Idemili South Local Government said the rerun election and Umeh’s swearing in were the handiworks of God. He said, “It is the hand of God working for his people, we in Anambra Central have been without any senator representing us thereby losing our entitlements at the federal and some people who claim to love the zone were comfortable with it. They (enemies of Umeh) kept jeopardizing every effort to conduct a rerun election for the zone for two years now until the creator of heaven and earth said enough is enough.”
For Chief Dan Ogbuefi, Umeh’s swearingin has brought peace to the zone, just as it has put a stop to unnecessary and unending litigation. He said, “We have suffered for two years, do you know what that means? The empowerment that would have come to our people, the employments, at least personal staff and other favours that would have come our way, all these are what we have been suffering. We however thank God that today He has shown that he has the superior power over all of us no matter our wealth and connections.”
The newly sworn in senator, may have however shown the world what to expect in the less than two years that is left of his four years tenure. After his swearing in, Umeh took to the floor of the Senate to speak about the 2014 national conference report which is still lying unimplemented. He said the clamour for the restructuring of the country, structure and social responsibilities of government, have all been addressed by the conference of 2014. He called on the federal government to consider the report as it remains a landmark document which also addressed power sharing and political structure.
He said, “It is an encyclopedia for charting the path for a good Nigeria. Unfortunately it was not given the attention it deserves. Restructuring has been misconstrued to mean the disintegration of Nigeria. Those holding that notion want the status quo to remain, there is no way you sustain a status quo that is full of disaffection. We need to go back to that report.” He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to work to preside over a peaceful and truly united nation saying, “It is easier to anchor our nation to the future by doing those things that are crucial to survival of the nation.”
Not willing to push his luck too far, especially as a new entrant, Umeh had told journalists shortly after he won the rerun election that; “I am well aware that I have limited time to spend before the end of the 8th Senate, but I will never be limited by time in the things I believe I can do. Lost time is lost. We look forward to the present and the future. I still have 18 months to work for my people. I have always said I am never limited with time.
“By the time I get there, I will do my utmost best to support the present leadership of the Senate. I will try to be ingenious in making my own contribution to the good of my people and the entire Nigerians. I will explore the possibility of receiving the needed attention from the leadership. They have to look at my constituency with pity for what has happened to us,” he added.
An Igbo titled chief, with over 50 traditional chieftaincy titles, Umeh who is popularly known as Ohamadike, which translates in English as; society knows who a warrior is, has carved a unique identity for himself, with his long red cap. In one of his numerous interviews, Umeh told journalists that his long red cap though portrays him as an ancient personality to some people, but is worn for easy identification. A fan of Umeh, Mr Walter Ezechukwu who was among those who glowingly celebrated Umeh on the day of his swearing in said, “where are all those people who said Umeh will not be a senator? Did they not observe that a long red cap has appeared in the red chambers? What am telling you is that, with his clout, personality and intelligence, and above all, his long red cap, the presiding officer of the Senate can not look away or claim not to notice him when Ohamadike raises his hand on the floor of the senate. Go and tell them that despite their antics, the long red cap has finally appeared in the red chambers to give Ndigbo a voice.”
I am well aware that I have limited time to spend before the end of the 8th Senate, but I will never be limited by time in the things I believe I can do