The debate as to
whether someone’s given name has anything to do with how that someone
eventually turns out in life is an open-ended question. But whether we are for
or against, the truth is that in life, we often find individuals who go ahead
to fulfil the meaning of their names in every sense of it like a prophecy,
negatively or positively. One man that has positively fulfilled – and continues
to fulfil – his name in recent history is Victor Umeh, the indefatigable
national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the party’s
candidate for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat in the 2015 elections.
An accomplished estate
manager and surveyor, Victor Umeh came into Nigeria’s political firmament like
a shining star. He was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
in 1998 and a pioneer member of APGA in 2002. Ever since then, his light has
never grown dim and his name has remained synonymous with victory.
Like a dogged fighter
and an astute politician that he is, Umeh has, in the course of taking APGA to
greater heights and building it up as the third-largest political party in
Africa’s most populous nation, fought many battles, scaled many hurdles planted
in his way by his detractors, and won many legal victories to remain on top as
APGA helmsman. When those desperate to remove him from office dragged him to
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Umeh floored them when he
took the party’s financial books to the commission, then headed by Farida
Waziri. It was a highly impressed Waziri that reportedly showered praises on
Umeh for keeping the party’s books clean.
Just as recent as June
18, 2014, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal once again affirmed him as
the authentic national chairman of APGA, setting aside the ruling of the
Federal High Court, Abuja, which had earlier sacked him and installed Maxi Okwu
as the chairman on January 15, 2014. In allowing the appeal, the appellate
court insisted that Okwu had no legal right whatsoever to bring a suit against
Umeh, having been earlier expelled from the party.
Prior to his battle
with Maxi Okwu over APGA leadership, Victor Umeh had successfully fought
Chekwas Okorie up to the Supreme Court, after which Okorie was forced to leave
APGA and form his own political party. In all of this, Umeh has ensured the
unity of the party and all its structures at all levels. Recall that it was
under Umeh’s leadership that APGA won governorship elections in Abia State in
2007 (Theodore Orji) and Imo State in 2011 (Rochas Okorocha), although both men
later left the party in a most undignifying manner.
As a testimony to his
numerous efforts in deepening democracy in Africa’s largest economy by GDP and
his contributions to the development of the country, Umeh was on September 29,
2014 honoured with the national award of Officer of the Order of the Federal
Republic (OFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan. At an event to celebrate the
honour, Umeh narrated the hurdles the party under his leadership had
crossed, saying emphatically that no other political party would go through the
kind of turbulence that APGA has seen and come out alive.
“We produced a governor
that served Anambra State for eight years and his eight years was a turbulent
period for the party in Anambra State because external opponents of the party
were after us, which led to a long judicial battle. In 2003, the secretary of
the party, Shinkafi, was almost killed in defence of this party. When we won at
the Court of Appeal that made way for Peter Obi to be sworn in as the governor
of Anambra State, Shinkafi was attacked at his Gusau residence by enemies of
APGA,” Umeh said, adding that his leadership was the most attacked because of
selfish interest, but in living up to the prophecy of his name, he has always
emerged victorious to the shame of his enemies.
The event, which had in
attendance key political figures including Willie Obiano, Anambra State governor,
Emmanuel Iheanacho, former minister of interior, Victor Ogene, a member
representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State at the House of
Representatives, among others, also turned out to be some sort of endorsement
meeting for Umeh’s senatorial bid. But the most striking was Ogene’s comment.
“For me, I think it is a recognition of his sterling politics not just in
leading APGA as a political party but in deepening democracy and the rule of
law in Nigeria. If you would remember, at a certain time in Nigeria the
political space was so choked that if you don’t get nomination in one of the
big political parties, it was like a battle. So, when a party like APGA came on
the scene, it helped to ventilate the people’s grievances and aspirations. People
from especially the South-east found in APGA a veritable platform. There have
been several such platforms, but due to the tenacity of Victor Umeh, APGA was
able to grow from strength to strength. But, of course, with the guardian of
our then national leader, late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.”
Before formally
throwing his hat into the ring for the Anambra Central Senatorial contest, Umeh
had several groups – including the Anambra Central Political Forum, a coalition
of APGA members led by Emeka Onuorah; Youths for Greater Anambra State (YGAS),
the youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; and APGA Women for Good Governance, among
others – beckoning on him to pick up the gauntlet.
In accepting the call
to serve, Umeh, at a party organised by APGA Solidarity Movement (APGA-SM) to
mark his 52nd birthday anniversary on July 19, said, “Stakeholders in Awka
South and Awka North Federal Constituency were the first. They brought me to
Finotel Hotel and threatened to kill me if I don’t run. Anambra Central
Senatorial Zone, the seven local government chairmen and their councillors, met
and said if I don’t accept, they will kill me, and today, the leader of council
in Anaocha local government moved a motion here, supported by youth leaders,
all youth leaders in the state and all stakeholders and said I must represent you.
“Because of the need to
provide effective representation for our people, I want to stand here with all
humility before the deputy governor representing the governor and before all of
you to say that because of the support I have seen given to me and the show of
love extended to me, I, Chief Sir Victor C. Umeh, Ohamadike Ndigbo, relying on
the support from all of you; and having carefully examined the motion and the
support and solidarity extended to me, and in recognition of the needs of our
zone, declare that I will vie for Senate and that APGA must win Anambra Central
Senatorial zone in 2015.”
Indeed, political
analysts believe that having contributed immensely to the sustenance of
democracy in Nigeria, and having played a key role in the growth and development
of APGA since its inception, Umeh would make a good representative of his
people at the Red Chamber. With his display of great sense of courage,
steadfastness and tenacity of purpose, his admirers are of the view that he
would be able to truly represent the people of Anambra Central and equally help
to further champion the cause of the Igbo nation in the National Assembly.
A political observer in
Anambra told this writer that in spite of the boasts of the incumbent senator
representing Anambra Central zone, Chris Ngige (through his media aide, Charles
Amilo), that he would never lose sleep over the decision of the APGA chairman
to run for the office, and despite Amaechi Onowu, Anambra State PDP vice
chairman, saying that the dream of the APGA stalwart of becoming a federal
legislator was a huge joke that would turn out to be a nightmare, there was
every indication that Umeh would once again come out victorious.
Indeed, Umeh is the one
who seems not be losing sleep at all. While answering questions from APGA’s
three-man screening panel in Awka – composed of Tayo Sowunmi, national vice
chairman (South West), Ifeanyi Mbaeri, and Abubakar Adamu –Umeh said that
apart from going to the Senate to give his people a better representation, he
also wanted to give APGA victory for once in the senatorial election, lamenting
that for the eight years the party has been in power it has never won the
senatorial seat. “So, I consider it a challenge. APGA has been doing well in
the past nine years. The party has a very bright future,” he said.
Asked how ready he was
to tackle Ngige, Umeh said, “Ngige has been my customer. It was through my
strenuous effort that I was able to remove him from office when he stole
our mandate. I was PW1 and stood in the witness box for three months. And
after he went to the Court of Appeal, we defeated him. He knows he cannot win
against me. Ngige is not a candidate that will boast if I am the one contesting
with him.”
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