Greatness does not reside in how much wealth you gather while you journey through this ephemeral plane called life. It is not also in the magnitude of power that you are able acquire in your quest for spatial dominance. To me, greatness is that mark which you consciously carve on history's chest through feats that most mortals dare not venture.

On the 14th of February 2018, ten Senators staged a walkout over the passage of the Conference Committee Report on Amendment to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Act, by the Senate, which according to them was completely illegal and a clear violation of the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ohna Andrew Uchendu, OON, was in the forefront of this remarkable defense against the desecration of the supreme document of the land. He rejected the move saying that his primary duty as a legislator was to preserve and not to destroy the sanctity of the country's laws.

For reasons best known to them, some federal legislators want their election held first in 2019, before that of the state legislators and state governors, while the presidential election should come last, as against the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the general election, where the Presidential and National Assembly elections were scheduled to hold first before the governorship and state assembly polls.

Pride and joy took over my being when I saw my cerebral Chief eloquently addressing the press. Senator Uchendu said that in the face of the prevailing circumstance, it was impossible for him to sit back and do nothing because he took an oath to uphold the full provisions of the 1999 constitution, as amended. He cited section 132 (1) of the constitution which states that "an election to the office of the President shall be held on a date to be appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission".

He insisted that the constitution is the overriding law of the land and it has given INEC power to fix a date for the election of the President. The Senator stressed that it was important for the National Assembly to save itself from embarrassment by not engaging in legislative activities that are in conflict with the provisions of the constitution. He said that there was no need creating more confusions in the polity especially when the country is struggling with so many problems.

At a time when it is being speculated that the alteration of the electoral timetable by the Senators is to their personal advantage, the Rivers East Senator's argument that the move by some of his colleagues to distort the process which has been in operation since 2003, cannot stand, since it is in gross violation of the constitution, is absolutely surprising. One nutritious takeaway from all these is that Senator Uchendu is not bothered whether the alteration of the election sequence would favour him or not; he simply does not want the provisions of the constitution to be flouted under any guise. O what a man!

It is general knowledge that Senator Andrew Uchendu is a good man. That the former General Manager of Risonpalm is a crusader for socio-economic development, is not in doubt. However, in the national space, what is now a subject of socio-political discourse is his selfless posture towards sensitive matters.

In years to come, I dare say that when the story of courageous men and women who against all odds, stuck their necks out for the protection of the soveriegnty of our beloved country would be written, Senator Andrew Uchendu's name would most likely be in the beginning pages of the book, and that is how to carve a mark on history's chest.

Solomon Okocha is the Media Aide to Senator Andrew Uchendu