[2] After his National Youths Service in 1985 as lecturer at the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, he engaged himself in the practice of his profession.
He saw the Party, APGA through in 2006 in its struggle to recover the Governorship of Anambra State which was by Peter Obi in 2003 but was given to Dr Chris Ngige of the PDP.
[3] He also doggedly fought with Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu's backbone to achieve a re-election for Governor Peter Obi in the February 2010 Governorship Election in Anambra State, in a feat seen by many as almost impossible.
[2] Honours An avowed defender of true tenets of Democracy, Umeh has received several awards and chieftaincy titles in recognition of his strong belief in the cause of justice.
Umeh has over 40 chieftaincy titles which include Ohamadike, MMA Agha Ndigbo, Ibobo Aguleri, Ochiagha, Dikeanagbalizu and Jagaban Shinkafi.
At the National Conference, Umeh shone like a million stars canvassing Matters of special interest to Ndigbo and for enthronement of Equity and Fairness in Nigeria.
He was sworn in to represent his people on 18 January 2018 by the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON in the 8th National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Despite not being re-elected back to the Senate in 2019, he transferred the scholarships to his Education Foundation and the students are still pursuing their studies in medicine and surgery, pharmacy, engineering, architecture, accountancy, management, banking & finance, economics, law, surveying and social sciences.
In December 2016, the Catholic Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis the 1st conferred on Umeh the Papal Knighthood of St. Sylvester, KSS.
[6] He was disqualified from the race on 27 January 2023 following a petition brought against him by the peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its candidate Uche Ekwunife that Umeh did not resign from APGA before joining LP and securing nomination to run in the senate election.