Anambra Central: Emeka Ojukwu endorses Victor Umeh, says he will serve Igbo interests better

Ahead next general elections, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has secured the endorsement of Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Jnr, the son of the late Biafran warlord and Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, to run for the Anambra Central Senatorial Seat.

Ojukwu told newsmen that he was convinced that Chief Umeh will serve the interest of Ndi Anambra, Ndi-Igbo and the legacies of Eze-Igbo better than any other candidate in the Red Chamber.

He said: “Well, I don’t think anybody needs me to expound on the relationship between Senator Victor Umeh and Eze-Igbo. He was very close to my father, right from the onset of the party, before he stepped up to be the National Chairman, then the relationship grew from there, he was somebody that my father trusted and he is somebody that I trust based on what my father taught me.

“He has stood for Eze-Igbo, he has stood for the Igbo interests within the party, the state and the Federal levels. In fact, you may have come across many of his interviews that he has done as National Chairman and as a Senator. He is somebody that has the interests of our people at heart and his foundation is based on the teachings of my father.

“So that goes without saying, he is a patriot. On the race for Anambra Central Senatorial Seat, Okagbue Uzugbenem the former Chief of Protocol to former Governor Obiano and Hon Dozie Nwankwo, who are also in the race, first of all, I know the three of them, I know Senator Victor Umeh better than I know the other two but I know them. The other two are young and dynamic, what I can call upcoming young men, especially Uzu, but in trying to answer your question better, it is not just about them or who they are but the position they are vying for, which is the Senate. Our system here in Nigeria is based on the American System, we have the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives.

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“The Senate needs a matured, experienced and almost like a fatherly kind of person. You would expect in the Senate a more experienced and seasoned politician not people with youthful exuberance. We need someone who commands respect, who has touched lives across the state, the nation and of course their constituents, someone who has had a track record of success, a track record of maturity.

Ojukwu pointed out that “when you put all these in context, not many people would disagree with me that Senator Umeh fits into that, as qualified as anybody maybe, Senator Umeh is head and shoulders above the other two persons. In terms of representing the interests of Ndi Anambra and Ndi-Igbo at the Senate and then when you tie that to my father’s legacies, with the closeness, with the fact that he is a student of Eze Igbo, he learnt from him politically, my choice is Victor Umeh and I think that the people of Anambra Central will be well served by him. He is strong minded, he is mature, he has a strong intellect, he has connections throughout the nation, he is respected politically and he is a mature, sensible Igbo leader.

“Having served before and with the level of exposure, his relationships, Umeh will more likely attract better committee assignments which will result in greater dividends for his constituency.

“With Umeh, we know what we will get, good representation. He is a known entity with a proven track record of fearless leadership. Merely seeing that tall red Cap on the table, everyone instinctively knows that Umeh is in the building!

“Ask yourself, of the three, were Ezeigbo alive, who would he endorse? Victor Umeh! ”

On the issue of the level playing field, he said that “what happened with the nominations in 2018 was a low point for the party and certainly not what Eze Igbo stood for when he was alive. It is not something APGA is known for and my advice is that they stay away from such behaviour in the future. We are yet to mend fences with all those that were aggrieved. This may not be the time to do that but they should try and settle the ones they can and move away from such behaviour and allow a level playing field for all the aspirants.”