January 28, (THEWILL) – It looks like the die is cast between Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, in the last governorship election in Anambra State and the incumbent governor of the state, Prof Charles Soludo. To what end? The struggle for who occupies the number one seat in Anambra come 2025.
Recall that THEWILL had reported how Ubah was eyeing the governopship position in the state and aims to try his luck a third time.
This newspaper had also reported how the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, had aided Ubah, who is representing Anambra South Senatorial District, by reshuffling the leadership of the senate committees and ensuring that he (Ubah) got one of the juiciest committees.
Ubah who defected from YPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, got the Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, not necessarily because of his knowledge of the industry, being an active participant via his Capital Oil and Gas Limited, but primarily to help him build a formidable financial war chest to rival that of another opponent from other political parties, including the incumbent. But Soludo is already losing sleep over Ubas ambition and has decided to go to ‘war’ with Ubah in order to clip his wings and his supposed growing influence.
Soludo’s recent suspension of the traditional ruler of Neni community, Igwe Damian Ezeani, for conferring on Ubah the chieftaincy title of ‘Odenjiinji Neni’ (Warrior of Neni), a title he reportedly holds from his Isuofia community, was not lost on political watchers.
Soludo accused the traditional ruler of not seeking clearance from the state government before bestowing titles on people, including, “persons with questionable character, thereby bringing the traditional institution to ridicule and disrepute.
This brazen disregard for law and order as well as directives by lawful authorities cannot be tolerated in the new Anambra of today. We have received confirmed reports that you conferred such a phantom chieftaincy title on one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in violation of the code of conduct and without clearance from the Ministry. Your action is an affront to order and good governance,” part of the suspension letter from the Anambra State Government to Igwe Ezeani read. Besides Igwe Ezeani, two other traditional rulers in Anambra State who had equally bestowed on him the chieftaincy titles of ‘Ikemba Ojoto,’ and ‘Dike Eji Eje Ogu’ (Warrior), quickly withdrew the titles and promptly apologised to the governor after they were sanctioned.
Soludo’s actions promptly sparked an argument over the state governor’s high handedness, with many believing that the suspension was nothing but a political witch hunt targeted at Ubah.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, a man who would ordinarily not put himself out there unnecessarily, livid with anger, faulted Soludo for sanctioning the traditional rulers and not having regard for traditional rulers, not to mention referencing a second-term “Right Honorable Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in a most disrespectful and offensive manner.”
Ubah who has maintained some dignifying silence so far, finally broke his silence to slam Soludo. He said the governor was simply playing politics, adding that he (Soludo) was frustrated about his growing political profile. He said Soludo was frustrated by his acceptance and popularity and had become jittery about the next governorship election.
Ubah said he couldn’t understand why Soludo singled him out for attacks when he was not the only person to receive a chieftaincy title within the same period, as the former chief of Army Staff, Tukur Yusuf Buratai and Vice President Kashim Shettima were also honored while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was honoured in absentia.
Ubah subsequently said he would leave Soludo to his conscience to judge him.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
