Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has urged the Senate to support the widow of the late Ifeanyi Ubah in replacing her husband as the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District.
Senator Ndume made this appeal on Tuesday during a valedictory session held in honor of the late senator.
Ubah, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), passed away at the age of 52 in a London hospital after a brief illness in July. He had recently defected to the APC from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in October 2023 and had announced his intention to run for the Anambra 2025 governorship election.
Before his death, Ubah was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream. His position has since been filled by Kano South Senator Kawu Sumaila.
During the session, Senator Ndume appealed to his colleagues to consider supporting the late Ubah’s widow to continue his political legacy. He pointed out that, historically, some deceased senators were succeeded by their wives or relatives, while others had entered the Senate with the backing of their husbands or fathers.
He urged the Senate to follow this precedent in Ubah’s case, citing the example of the late Chuba Okadigbo, a prominent politician whose widow, Margery, succeeded him in the Senate after his death.
“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,” he said.
Mr Ndume, therefore, appealed to his colleagues to support Mr Ubah’s wife in getting her late husband’s seat.
“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,” he said.
