Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, has firmly rejected claims that he accepted dollars to support the illegal State of Emergency declared by General Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rivers State.
In a statement, Umeh cautioned against what he called serial blackmail, clarifying that he was not among the 42 senators rumored to have received $10,000 the day before the Senate approved the emergency resolution.
He stressed that he neither accepted any funds to back the state of emergency in Rivers State nor attended the alleged Wednesday meeting where $10,000 was supposedly distributed to 42 senators. “I did not receive any money to support the state of emergency in Rivers State. I was not at any meeting where such payments were allegedly made,” Umeh asserted.
The senator recounted that on Tuesday evening, he participated in the traditional IFTAR (Breaking of Fasting) event at the Senate Guest House alongside Muslim colleagues and others. There, he was invited to offer Christian prayers following Senator Adamu Aliero’s Muslim prayers after the meal. “I prayed for God to grant peace to all parts of Nigeria and reconciliation to all the warring parties in Rivers State. I prayed for love and for all Nigerians to embrace one another, for the good of our nation,” he said. He added that the State of Emergency in Rivers State was not a topic of discussion at the IFTAR, noting that other Labour Party senators were also present.
Dismissing the accusations as blackmail, Umeh insisted they were far from the truth. He reassured his constituents that such reports would not derail his commitment to effective representation, suggesting that the intent behind the allegations was to sow discord between him and the people while tarnishing his reputation.
“I will not be distracted by their false reports, and I will continue to serve my constituents with dignity and integrity,” he vowed.
Reports had earlier surfaced alleging that senators received bribes of $10,000 to endorse General Tinubu’s move to suspend Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
