Is Ubah the Candidate to Beat in Anambra?

Even though the Anambra State governorship is still far ahead, Ifeanyi Ubah, senator and businessman, has continued to position himself as the candidate to beat in the election, writes Tobi Soniyi

When it comes to politics, no state in Nigeria is more active than Anambra. As a matter of fact, the nation’s case law, with regards to political issues, is replete with judgments on disputes emanating from the state.
No one should, therefore, be surprised that at the last count, there are not less than thirty aspirants jostling to take over from Chief Willie Obiano as the governor of Anambra.

Some of the aspirants have intimidating credentials. Others are over-qualified for the job. There are those who think it is their entitlement.
However, there is this one aspirant that everyone is scared of. He is Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah. A dark horse in the race. Anyone who underestimates him does so at his own risk.

All politics is local. No one understands this better than Ubah. This explains why he easily defeated the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in the Anambra South Senatorial District Election. He contested under a relatively unknown political party, the Young Progressives Party and won.

Unlike the others, Ubah did not wait for election time before reaching out to the people. He appears to have earned the people’s trust by being there for them in their hours of need. This explains the massive followers he enjoys among the grassroots. These are the people, who would defy the elements to cast their votes on election day. They are dependable.
Nothing unites Nigerians like sports. Ubah understands this quite well. He founded the Ifeanyi Ubah Football Club and built the Ifeanyi Ubah Football Club Stadium, the first of its kind in the country.

This offers opportunities for Nigerians, not just Anambra people to change their lives for the better. The football club not only provides opportunity for talented youth across the country and even abroad, to pursue their professional careers in football, the stadium provides jobs for a teeming number of people to eke out a living, in addition to indirect jobs created through the facility on a daily basis, especially, whenever a football tournament is being hosted at the stadium. Covid-19 pandemic provided opportunities for public spirited people to support the downtrodden. Ubah did not turn his back against the Anambra people. He reached out to the people. He rebuffed attempts by the Anambra State government to frustrate him from helping those in need.

He didn’t stop there. He convened a meeting of people of like minds under the auspices of the Anambra Progressives Forum. Members of this forum include the likes of Dr. Cletus Ibeto (CON), Dr. Alex Okafor Chikason (OON), Chief (Sir) Dan Chukwudozie (Dozzy Oil), Pharm. Sam Ubachukwu, Chief Frank Okafor, Chief Tony Okonkwo, Sir Nnamdi Obi, Sir Uche Obiakor and Sir Paul Okafor, to mention just a few of the big guns, who accepted to join forces with him to put up a novel initiative in health management process in the country.

The group, which has over three hundred and ninety billionaires as members has, so far, within a period of ten months, constructed two ultramodern medical and isolation centers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (Permanent Site) Nnewi-Oraifite and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Both facilities have been commissioned and handed over to the managements of both institutions respectively.

The group has also kick-started a move to create over 25,000 jobs for unemployed youths in Anambra State with the launch of an industrial park in Eziama, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area.The project includes an Inland Bonded Terminal.
Ubah’s interventions in Anambra have not gone unnoticed. This explains why many are rooting for him to support his campaign to be the governor.

Other factors are also working in favour of Ubah. APC is distrusted in the Southeast and not just in Anambra. APGA has become a liability following the dismal performance of Obiano in his second term. The people are merely waiting for the election to punish the party for taking them for granted. Anambra used to be a PDP state. But internal wranglings and godfatherism led to its downfall in the state. The party’s primary is likely to be rowdy.

Unlike others who might emerge as their parties standard bearers through rancorous primaries, Ubah is not likely to face any opposition within his Young Progressives Party. He is the party and has earned the trust and confidence of all through his altruistic interventions in different facets of their lives.