Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has appealed to the upper house to support the widow of the late Ifeanyi Ubah to replace her husband as senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District.
Ndume made the call on Tuesday during the farewell session organized by the Senate in honor of the late senator.
Ubah, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), died at the age of 52 in a London hospital after a brief illness in July.
He defected from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the APC in October 2023 and declared his interest in contesting the Anambra gubernatorial election in 2025.
Senator Ali Ndume (PHOTO CREDIT: Official Facebook @Sen. Muhammad Ali Ndume]
Until his death, Mr. Ubah was the Chairman of the Senate Downstream Petroleum Committee. Kano South Senator Kawu Sumaila has since been appointed to replace him.
During the farewell service, Ndume appealed to his colleagues to ensure that the widow of the late Ubah replaces her husband to carry on the senator's legacy.
The Borno senator recounted that some deceased senators were succeeded by their wives and relatives. On the contrary, others became members of the upper house under the influence of their husbands and fathers.
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He asked that this be extended to Mr Ubah's widow.
“It happened before. Chuba Okadigbo was a great politician. When he died, years later, his wife, the widow Margery, was sitting here.
“Our first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, came to the Senate thanks to the people of Lagos and her husband, who is the president who served two terms… They insisted that she should run for a third term. In fact, she told me that her dream was to be a pastor.
“Abiru's father was a great senator in 1979. Is Yar'Adua right here? Everyone 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, he was a great senator,” he said.
Ndume therefore appealed to his colleagues to support Ubah's wife to get her late husband's position.
“Finally, Mr. President, I appeal to you and your distinguished colleagues. His wife, fortunately, is in her 50s and is a wonderful wife. Let us support the family to have a representative Ifeanyi spirit here in the house when Anambra is elected from the senatorial district he represents,” he said.
READ ALSO: Adoke and Nwoye mourn Ifeanyi Ubah, say late senator lived well
“What I want to appeal to you, Mr. President, is that we keep the spirit and aspirations of Ifeanyi alive,” Ndume added.
How senators are elected
In Nigeria, senators are elected under Article 65 of the constitution.
Any Nigerian who wants to become a member of the upper house of the Bicameral National Assembly must be nominated by a party, participate in an election organized by INEC and emerge victorious before the person is sworn in.