National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has declared that the defection of Anambra senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, to the ruling party will liberate the South-East.
The former Kano state governor argued that it would end the cry of marginalisation by the geopolitical zone, adding that APC will benefit from his political dynasty and experiences of winning elections.
Ganduje dismissed the insinuation that South East is marginalised, stressing that there is rather lack of unity in the zone where three parties control the five states.
“This is the biggest fish I have gotten. Marginalisation is controversial. Let us see what is happening in South East. With the five states; three states are controlled by different political parties. We have PDP, Labour Party, APGA and remaining two APC. Now, a geopolitical zone with five states controlled by four political parties. Is this a sense of unity? Is this a sense of collective decision in order to participate in national politics? No.
“Now we have started seeing the answer. We will start revolution, already we have two states in South East and with this timber and calibre, juggernaut, I think we have found answer. The answer to liberating the South East geopolitical, zone. We thank you for coming.
“I describe him as a swing politician because wherever he is that party wins. And we are expecting that this swing will swing through out South East especially to the other three states that don’t belong to APC. You are welcome,” he said.
Speaking earlier while introducing the Young Progressive Party (YPP) chieftain, Senate President, Godwill Akpabio, disclosed that the plan for Ubah to join the APC was sealed in the USA, joking that he did not come on his own but holy spirit arrested him.
He said: “Our visit today is taking you by surprise that we have increased in our number in the Nigerian Senate. This time around we are bringing a political timber in the Senate to you. It was very difficult to convince him to join the train… Here is the man that survives the Tsunami in the South East when LP was deceiving Nigerians.
“He is not just coming with YPP alone, he is also coming with the timbers and calibers of the old party that used to be in charge of Nigeria, one of them is a former Senate president. Like they used to say during the civil war that the South East has fallen; South East has fallen and is fallen into APC. So, the man that comes will be the torch to lead the South East to the national politics of Nigeria. It is my privilege to hand him over to you,” he said.
Responding, Ubah said he was happy to graduate from young party to a big party like the APC, stressing that he joined early ahead of the Anambra governorship election to be fully acquainted with activities in the party.
“I want to be sincere, it has always been difficult for the Igbo people to key into the national party because of our sentiments and emotions. But, since our president has emerged and I put that challenge to each Igboman today in Nigeria 70% – 80% of them derive their wealth from the legacy that the president has left in Lagos. Our president is the politician that understands how it pains and how to console everybody. He has that capacity,” he said.
Credit: Daily Sun
