Fides Media Living the Faith
… Has Ubah Fired First Shot?
Even before the incumbent Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s first tenure approaches the half way mark, early indications are that the jostling for his seat may have already begun, reports Ikeugonna Eleke.
The very recent defection from Young Progressives Party (YPP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, member representing Anambra South Senatorial Zone in the Nigerian Senate, has been seen in some quarters, as an attempt to stop the re-election of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as Governor of Anambra State in 2025.
In the letter to the Senate which was read by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Ubah had, among other things, stated his reason for moving from YPP to APC to include; APC’s sterling leadership of the country, Tinubu’s fairness to Ndigbo, and the need for his constituency to be connected to the centre.
But many believe that the move was geared primarily towards positioning himself for the governorship contest in 2025.
Ubah is one person who has never hidden the fact that he desires to govern Anambra. He has also given the position a shot from many political parties, including APGA, PDP, LP and YPP. If he eventually contests for the position in 2025 under APC, he would have successfully contested five times under different party.
A political analyst and lawyer, Barr Paul Ezechi, who spoke to Fides, described Ubah’s defection as timely, considering his quest to govern the state. This is on the backdrop of rumours that Senator Uche Ekwunife, another serial governorship contender like Ubah, who was recently named the Director General of South East Governors Forum, was warming up to move to APC with the help and connection of both Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and David Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State, who are both top APC members.
Ezechi said: ‘I don’t see Ifeanyi Ubah’s defection stopping that of Ekwunife, but what it means is that the trio of Ubah, Ekwunife and Andy Uba, who was the candidate of the party in the last governorship election (a serial contender) would be slugging it out, which I know will favour Ifeanyi Ubah, because he currently holds a strategic position that the powers that be in APC would want to pay attention to.’
In the wake of the announcement of Ubah’s defection however, several members of APGA attacked him for what they described as his desperation. While many reminded him that APC remained a hard sell in Anambra, others told him that his desperation to grab the Anambra Governorship Seat was making him to return to his spittle (APC) which he had denied in 2019.
An APGA chieftain, Mr Chinedu Obigwe, said of him: ‘The rumour is that Ubah dumped the Young Progressives Party for APC to properly position himself to contest the 2025 Governorship Poll in the state against the incumbent governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, of APGA. As at the last count, Ifeanyi Ubah has joined five political parties; namely, PDP, Labour Party, APGA, YPP, and APC. Those claiming that APGA is jittery with ifeanyi Ubah’s rumoured defection to APC are talking nonsense. As a matter of fact, APGA is unperturbed because Ifeanyi Ubah is a familiar political foe to the party (APGA), especially when it comes to governorship election contest.