Umeh Condemns ‘Forced Takeover’ of Senate Seats by Governors

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Senator Victor Umeh on Monday decried what he described as the “forced takeover” of Senate seats by outgoing governors, warning that the trend was undermining internal democracy and humiliating serving lawmakers across the country.

Umeh, who represents Anambra Central Senatorial District, spoke with journalists at the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) national secretariat in Abuja, where he lamented that many governors completing their tenure had already positioned themselves to occupy senatorial seats, leaving little room for fair competition during party primaries.

According to him, the development has made it nearly impossible for many aspirants, including incumbent senators, to secure party tickets against sitting governors who still wield enormous political influence in their states.

“The National Assembly is not a retiring ground,” Umeh declared. “If you come there, the business of lawmaking is very stressful for those who are committed to the work. So if they think they come to the National Assembly to sleep, they are making a mistake.”

The senator said governors who had spent eight years in office should consider stepping aside temporarily instead of moving directly into another elective position.

“I think after serving as a governor, one should take a break and allow other people to do it,” he added.

He noted that the battle for Senate tickets in several states had become tense because governors preparing to leave office had allegedly “booked” senatorial seats for themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.

“It has been difficult for a lot of people to contest for primary ticket of the Senate in the various states against their governors that are rounding up their tenure,” he said. “People have been brushed aside because nobody can stand against a governor that is sitting in a primary.”

Umeh lamented that many serving senators had become casualties of such political arrangements, saying some of his colleagues in the National Assembly might not return after the next election because governors in their states were interested in taking over their seats.

“A lot of my colleagues have become victims of this. Most of my colleagues are not coming back. And very painful too,” he said.

The senator also recounted how a former governor in one state was allegedly humiliated during a Senate primary contest because the incumbent governor wanted the same seat.

“He wasn’t given a fair chance to contest for that ticket. He was stopped from attending stakeholders’ meetings and from outside he watched all these things happen,” Umeh said.

He described the incident as disrespectful, especially considering that the affected politician had previously governed the state for eight years.

“Such things should not be encouraged,” he stressed, adding that lawmakers might consider legislative measures to address the issue in future.

Beyond the controversy surrounding senatorial ambitions of governors, Umeh expressed optimism about the electoral prospects of the NDC ahead of the 2027 general election.

He said the party had witnessed massive growth since the defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to the platform.

“Since his excellency, Mr Peter Obi joined NDC along with his friend and colleague, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, NDC has not been the same again,” he said. “Nigerians have followed them to this party.”

The senator said the increasing number of aspirants seeking elective offices on the platform was evidence that the party had become a major political force ahead of the polls.

Umeh explained that while several parties had concluded their primaries, the NDC was still receiving new entrants and preparing to conclude its own nomination processes later this month.

“We are hopeful that Nigerians will see the change they are looking for at the end of the process,” he said.

On the recent Federal High Court judgment extending timelines for certain electoral activities, Umeh described the ruling as sound but cautioned political parties against relying completely on it because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could still appeal.

He advised parties to continue working with the existing electoral timetable pending a final judicial resolution.

According to him, INEC unnecessarily compressed political activities into a short period, thereby placing enormous pressure on parties, especially newer ones like the NDC.

“The Federal High Court judgment was very good,” he said, insisting that the electoral body should avoid regulations capable of creating avoidable confusion within the political process.

Umeh recently joined the NDC after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) amid internal disagreements and coalition disputes within the party. Before then, he had been associated with the Labour Party after years in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), where he served as national chairman.