On Thursday, the National Chairman of the All Progressives, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, welcomed the Senator representing Anambra South senatorial district at the party national secretariat in Abuja.
Ubah, who dumped the Young Progressives Party for the APC, was accompanied to the party’s national secretariat by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele and a few other senators.
Senator Akpabio had earlier read a formal letter announcing Senator Ubah’s defection to the APC on the floor of the Red Chamber.
Receiving Ubah into his new platform, the APC chairman described the erstwhile YPP chieftain as an asset to the APC, who will be useful in liberating the southeast and encouraging the zone to join mainstream politics.
The former Kano state governor, who declared that the cry of marginalization by the southeast was genuine, however, said it was self-inflicted.
He noted that the division among the eminent politicians in the region was responsible for the political polarisation as he claimed that there was no wisdom in a situation where four political parties shared five states in the zone.
He said, “Today is a day that we can’t forget. Since I assumed office, this is the biggest fish the party net has picked. Sometimes, it is a shark or whale put together.
“We have introduced some reforms into the party: One, to make it active during the election and widen its membership. It is disturbing that marginalisation is a common concept. When we hear that people are being marginalised, we develop interest.
I have met some senior politicians from the south-east, and the common thing is to complain about marginalisation. The absence of southeast in the Villa is a fact. You have five states, three controlled by three different political parties: PDP, APGA, and LP.
Presenting Senator Ubah to the APC National Working Committee, the President of the Senate told the gathering of the party national officers, lawmakers and newsmen that the Anambra Senator said he was impressed with the reforms being initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the oil sector which informed his decision to join the ruling party.
He said, “We have taken you by surprise to tell you today that we have increased our number in the Senate. We are bringing a top notcher. It was difficult to convince him when we were trying to have my leadership. But we knew that the holy spirit would touch him, and the holy spirit has touched him.
He has been applauding the Tinubu administration. As someone who was a player in the petroleum sector, he was impressed with the removal of fuel subsidies, and he wants to carry the message of the Tinubu administration to nooks and crannies. He has said with Tinubu’s policy on fuel subsidy, that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
“He believes that the entire body of YPP should join with him. Here is the man who survived the tsunami of the Labour Party.
“We are increasing the number today. I have been joined by very distinguished lawmakers from across the country. He is coming with 12 elected members of the YPP in Anambra state. The southeast has fallen into APC. It is my privilege to hand him over to you. ”
In his remarks, Senator Ubah said apart from Tinubu’s economic reforms, he was impressed with his large heart to integrate the southeast region into his government in spite of the opposition from the region to his aspiration.
He said, ” It gladdens my heart to see the calibre of men that are here today to welcome me. We have been on this for a long, and we consummated this a few weeks ago in the United Kingdom.
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