The Senate held a poignant valedictory session on Tuesday where Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) made a compelling appeal for the widow of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah to succeed her husband as the representative of Anambra South Senatorial District.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who served as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, passed away in July at a London hospital after a brief illness at the age of 52.
Prior to his death, he had defected from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October 2023 and declared his intention to contest the Anambra 2025 governorship election.
During the memorial session, Senator Ndume highlighted several precedents where family members had succeeded their deceased relatives in the Senate.
“It happened before. Chuba Okadigbo was a great politician. When he died, years after, his wife, the widow Margery, sitting around here,” Ndume stated.
He further exemplified his point by referencing other familial successions in the Senate: “Our first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, came to the Senate by the virtue of the people of Lagos and her husband who is the president who served two terms… They insisted that she should go for third term. In fact, she told me that her dream was to be a pastor.”
“Abiru’s father was a great senator in 1979. Right here is Yar’Adua? Everybody knows Yar’Adua (Katsina Central Senator). Senator (Iyabo) Obasanjo, if you remember, is the daughter of General Obasanjo. Sitting in front of me is Dafinone, his father, was a great senator,” Ndume elaborated.
Making his final appeal, Ndume said: “Finally, Mr. President, my appeal to you and distinguished colleagues, his wife, fortunately, is 50 years or so, a wonderful wife. Let us support the family to have a spirit representative of Ifeanyi here in the chamber when election of Anambra of the senatorial district that he represents.”
“What I want to appeal to you, Mr President, is, let us keep his spirit, aspirations of ifeanyi alive,” Ndume added.
Since Senator Ubah’s passing, Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano South has been appointed to fill his position as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream.
It’s important to note that according to Section 65 of the Nigerian Constitution, senatorial positions are filled through a democratic process where candidates must be nominated by a party, participate in elections organized by INEC, and emerge victorious before being inaugurated into the Senate.
