By David Onwuchekwa
Nearly a year now, the people of Anambra South Senatorial District have found themselves without a voice in Nigeria’s highest legislative chamber.
The tragic passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in 2024 created not just a vacuum, but a troubling silence in the Senate that continues to cost the district dearly.
The implications of this absence go far beyond the symbolic. Without a Senator, Anambra South has lost a critical advocate, a voice to champion its development, defend its interests, and shape the legislation that governs its future.
In the Senate, where every region’s influence is tied directly to the presence and power of its representative, Anambra South’s seat has remained cold, its name absent from crucial debates, decisions, and funding negotiations.
What does this mean in practical terms? It means no one is pushing for the district when federal budgets are drawn. It means there is no Senator to facilitate constituency projects such as roads, schools, healthcare and empowerment programmes that often come through personal lobbying and federal intervention.
It means the people have been effectively shut out of the national conversation for months, with little say on matters that deeply affect them.
There’s also the deeper emotional and political impact. Constituents in areas like Nnewi South, who have long felt marginalized, see this vacancy as a painful reinforcement of their exclusion. The Senate’s delayed declaration of the vacancy only added to the frustration, dragging out the process and dimming hope for timely redress.
As by-election plans inch forward, the region stands at a crossroads. The return of representation is not just about filling a seat, it’s about restoring the political relevance and dignity of an entire people. Until that happens, Anambra South remains in legislative limbo, paying a quiet but heavy price for its silence in the Senate.
The Nigerian Constitution is clear: by-elections must be conducted within 30 days of a declared vacancy, provided it doesn’t fall within 90 days of a general election. The Senate did its part by officially declaring the seat vacant. Since then, the clock has been ticking and INEC has been largely quiet.
There’s growing speculation that the by-election might be scheduled alongside the Anambra governorship election this November. But speculation is no substitute for action. Waiting that long would mean over a year without Senate representation for one of the state’s most politically active regions. That’s unacceptable in a democracy.
INEC needs to act and act quickly. This is not just about fulfilling a legal obligation. It’s about restoring the voice of the people of Anambra South in national decision-making. Transparency, fairness, and urgency must guide the commission’s next steps.
Silence is not neutrality. In this case, it leans dangerously close to disenfranchisement.
