Ndume wants late Ifeanyi Ubah's widow to replace her husband in Senate

Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has appealed to the upper chamber to support the widow of late Ifeanyi Ubah to replace her husband as the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District.

Mr Ndume made the appeal on Tuesday during the valedictory session organised by the Senate in honour of the late senator.

Mr 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 to the APC from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in October 2023 and declared his interest in contesting the Anambra 2025 governorship election.

Until his death, Mr Ubah was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream. Kano South Senator Kawu Sumaila has since been appointed to replace him.

During the valedictory service, Mr Ndume appealed to his colleagues to ensure that the late Mr Ubah’s widow replaced her husband to continue the senator’s legacies.

The Borno senator recounted that some deceased senators were succeeded by their wives and relations. In contrast, others became members of the upper chamber under the influence of their husbands and fathers.

He appealed that this should be extended to Mr Ubah’s widow.

“It happened before. Chuba Okadigbo was a great politician. When he died, years after, his wife, the widow Margery, sitting around here.

“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.

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“What I want to appeal to you, Mr President, is, let us keep his spirit, aspirations of ifeanyi alive,” Mr Ndume added.

How senators are elected

In Nigeria, senators are elected according to Section 65 of the constitution.

Any Nigerian who wants to become a member of the upper chamber of the Bi-cameral National Assembly has to be nominated by a party, contest an election organised by INEC, and emerge victorious before the person is inaugurated.