Politics
By Wealth Ufford
SEN, Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, has defended his victory in the senatorial primary election and dismissed the claims by Nwabueze Oli, an opposing aspirant, insisting that the exercise was properly conducted and the results reflected the will of the party members.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Umeh described the allegations challenging the outcome of the primary as misleading and politically motivated.
According to the senator, the aspirant, who appeared on the programme had no established political presence in the district and only recently emerged in the process.
Umeh said that he first met Oli at the venue of the primary election and rejected claims that he lost in his own local government area.
He maintained that the election was conducted by a five-member electoral panel constituted by the party’s national leadership and supervised across the seven local government areas in Anambra Central.
Umeh said that the official results from the exercise showed he secured 11,964 votes, while his challenger polled 718 votes.
He added that the results were signed by members of the electoral panel and authenticated by the electoral officials.
Speaking on the issues raised by the opposing candidate, Umeh argued that the figures publicly cited by his challenger did not correspond with the registered voting strength in the district.
He also alleged that attempts had repeatedly been made by political actors to challenge his candidacy through legal actions, claiming that similar situations occurred during previous election cycles.
Responding to criticisms on his representation of the constituents, Umeh rejected suggestions that he had not delivered meaningful projects to Anambra Central.
He highlighted educational support programmes as one of his key interventions, adding that he currently sponsors 331 students from Anambra Central in universities across Nigeria under a scholarship scheme.
He also said that he had previously supported 76 students studying professional courses.
Beyond education, Umeh said that he had facilitated infrastructure and constituency projects, including classroom construction, road infrastructure, boreholes and health facilities across the communities within the senatorial district.
The senator referenced ongoing and completed projects in different communities and said that further documentation of his constituency interventions would be made public.
On broader concerns surrounding internal party politics and claims that influential figures were determining the outcomes in the South-East, Umeh dismissed suggestions that the presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi, influenced the primary process.
He argued that internal party contests are often contentious and that political actors frequently make allegations after losing elections.
According to Umeh, political parties remain open platforms for participation, but participation does not automatically guarantee victory.
The interview comes amid continuing debates over the conduct of the party primaries ahead of future electoral contests.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was formed on February 5, 2026, following a court order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.
Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC on May 3, 2026, a move that led to a major rise in public interest and membership.
According to party figures, more than 10 million Nigerians registered with the party within the first 24 to 48 hours after their defection.
The rapid growth has put pressure on the party as it prepared for and conducted its nationwide party primary elections.
After the conclusion of the party primaries, the NDC has faced internal disagreements over the selection of candidates and there are calls for transparency as well as complaints about delays in releasing the official results in some districts.
W.U
June 15, 2026
Tags: Nwabueze Oli Peter Obi Rabiu Kwankwaso Victor Umeh