By Duru Akachukwu
Born on July 19, 1962, Senator (Dr.) Victor Umeh is a man of destiny. An accomplished estate surveyor and valuer, his foray into politics in 1998 when General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s military government lifted the ban on partisan politics was a turning point in his life.
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State and its state treasurer in 1999, Senator Umeh resigned his position in 2001 and joined other progressives to form the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which he served as the pioneer national vice-chairman, South-East, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered the party on June 22, 2002. He was elected national treasurer on January 10, 2003, at APGA’s first national convention in Abuja, and acting national chairman on December 15, 2004, by the National Working Committee (NWC), which was ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on January 11, 2005, in Abuja, and confirmed by the second national convention in December 2006 in Enugu.
Umeh’s tenure as the APGA national chairman was the golden era of the party. The party won two governorship elections in Anambra and Imo states, two senatorial seats in Imo and Anambra states, several House of Representatives and state House of Assembly seats in Anambra, Imo, Bayelsa and Taraba states, numerous local government chairmen and councillors, produced two speakers of the House of Assembly in Anambra and Imo, some members of the party were appointed ambassadors, including the wife of the late APGA national leader, Iyom Bianca Ojukwu. Umeh’s administration moved the party from strength to strength, victory to victory and glory to glory, with a mission and determination to win the entire South-East and beyond. APGA became the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics and the third leg of the nation’s formidable political tripod.
A political juggernaut, generalissimo and defender of APGA mandates since the 2003 general election, Sir Victor Umeh is at the forefront along with other party leaders, members and supporters in Anambra State to ensure APGA’s victory in the November 6, 2021, gubernatorial election, a seat the party has retained since March 17, 2006, when Mr. Peter Obi was sworn in as the first governor of the state produced by the party and was succeeded by incumbent Governor Willie Obiano in March 2014. Anambra State has been an APGA stronghold since June 2002 when it was registered. Political pundits are of the firm view that the party will retain the state, considering the ongoing developmental strides by APGA governments since March 2006.
Dr. Umeh was recently appointed the chairman of the APGA Peace/Reconciliation and National Outreach Committee, with His Excellency, Emeka Sibeudu, as cecretary. The 12-member committee was constituted and sworn in by the party’s national leader and chairman of the board of trustees, His Excellency, Governor Willie Obiano, with the mandate to reconcile aggrieved members of the party/resolve any lingering problems in the party in any local government so that APGA can approach the November 6 election as a very strong, united party; to engage in wider stakeholders’ outreach to build a formidable coalition across the state for the party, among other measures that would help the party to succeed.
A man of indefatigable endeavour with enormous political sagacity, Umeh said the committee would approach aggrieved members with utmost humility and seek their understanding, and bring back peace and unity of purpose to the party as there is no alternative to APGA being in government of Anambra State.
“l want to assure the people of Anambra State in particular that APGA is still the most stable party in this state and all those things that had endeared the party to them remain intact,” Umeh asserted.
The committee swung into action immediately, as time is of the essence.
As director-general of Dr. Willie Obiano’s re-election campaign in 2017, Umeh’s political savvy and strategy, combined with Governor Obiano’s progressive, people-oriented governance, and the hard work of APGA members and supporters led to the resounding victory of the party in what has come to be known as 21/21, a landslide victory in all the 21 LGAs in Anambra State.
Political analysts strongly believe that feat will be repeated in the November 6 gubernatorial election. Ohamadike is a paragon of patriotism. In the words of the late APGA national leader, Eze Igbo Gburugburu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, “The might of a warrior is tested only in battle…I salute your tenacity, your courage and resilience. APGA has always known what has now become widely acknowledged … Congratulations to the hardest-working party chairman in the federation,” Dim Ojukwu declared in an advertorial in The Sun newspaper of March 17, 2010, eulogizing Umeh’s political acumen that helped to secure Peter Obi’s re-election and would be deployed to win the forthcoming gubernatorial poll in the state.
Fondly called the Field Marshal of APGA politics, Umeh has weathered massive political storms in his bid to protect, sustain and advance the party’s electoral fortunes and won over 40 lawsuits to keep APGA united and relevant in Nigerian politics. He is optimistic that his peace committee will resolve all issues in the spirit of APGA’s motto: “Be Your Brother’s Keeper.”
“Our promise is that we shall do everything humanly possible to bring back peace and unity of purpose to this party so that we can approach the election as one family. We want to reach out to all our party members, irrespective of their situations, and bring them back to the party because we want to be together and focused on the primary objective of achieving victory for the party. We have done it severally in the past; we want to continue doing so for the good of our people,” Umeh said.
It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
Umeh’s character was tested with several offices and positions he held, including two-term APGA national chairman, member, 2014 National Political Conference and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He distinguished himself in these positions and many others too numerous to mention.
He also received several awards, chieftaincy titles, including Ohamadike Agulu, by His Royal Highness, Igwe Innocent Obodoako, and the entire Agulu community on December 30, 2006; conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by former President Goodluck Jonathan in appreciation of his efforts in helping to deepen democracy and rule of law in Nigeria; and a Catholic Papal Knight of St. Sylvester.
A compassionate leader and philanthropist, Ohamadike has empowered numerous youths and women in Anambra State in particular and the nation in general. He executed several projects in all the communities in Anambra Central Senatorial District as a way of giving back to the society and delivering dividends of democracy to them. Umeh’s signature projects and empowerment programme in Anambra Central in particular will be remembered for decades as footprints of a visionary, purposeful, dynamic, pragmatic, progressive and transformational leader with a milk of human kindness for his people.
It was Bill Gates who said, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” The ever growing number of indigent students Umeh offered scholarship from primary school to the university, some have obtained their doctorate degrees, stands him out as a leader to watch in Nigerian politics. God has greatly used him to turnaround the destinies of young people and prepare them for future leadership. This is the hallmark of greatness.
Indeed, he is a man of the people and happily married to Lady Chinenye Umeh, a perfect soulmate. They are blessed with seven children. For this bright star from the East of the Niger, it is a new dawn in life and destiny.
Happy birthday, the people’s leader and master strategist.
•Dr Akachukwu, a public affairs analyst, sent this tribute from Awka, Anambra State