By Samuel Ogunsona
A prominent Igbo politician, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah has said that 80 percent of the current rich men and women in Igboland made their money from the legacy left by President Bola Tinubu while he was the Governor of Lagos.
Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos between 1999 and 2007.
He said Tinubu opened up Lagos to many Igbo business men and women who tapped into the many businesses associated with post military era economic transformation of Lagos State during Tinubu’s eight-year tenure.
Ubah made the statement while visiting the All Progressives Congress,( APC) secretariat in Abuja.
He said his joining the APC was in the strategic interests of the South East Igbo.
Ubah has only recently decamped to the ruling party.
Ubah said it will be difficult for conscious politicians to ignore the APC.
He praised the precedents of President Bola Tinubu saying the President is worthy of emulation.
Ubah was a chieftain of the YPP before joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said his joining the APC was a decision taken after extensive consultation in the South-East.
Ubah had met the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
At the meeting were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The meeting was held at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Ubah argued that 70% to 80% of Igbo made their money from the legacy of Tinubu in Lagos.
He said it was his desire to ensure the SouthEast benefit from political and economic dividends.
He thanked Ganduje and the APC leadership for accepting him into the party.
Ubah expressed delight at President Bola for appointing Mr Dave Umahi as the Minister of Works.
He said the strategic position was given to the South East even in the face of low votes recorded by the APC in the South East.
“Our president is rewarding even those who didn’t vote for him, for that it will be very difficult for any man with conscience not to look at the direction of the centre party.
“I don’t see anyone who will come against my coming into the APC,” he said.
“It is not all about talking, it is about doing, I believe in action, Mr President just take it from me, I am going to deliver.
“I have made my complaints to President Tinubu in front of the Senate President and he has graciously given me his words that he will support me.
“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.
“Since our president has emerged and I put that challenge to each Igbo man today in Nigeria, 70% – 80% of them derive their wealth from the legacy that the president has left in Lagos.
“Our president is a politician that understands how it pains and how to console everybody. He has that capacity,” he said.
Ganduje while receiving Ubah, said he was one of the biggest politicians that had joined the party since he assumed office as the APC chairman.
“This is the biggest fish I have gotten,” Ganduje said.
He expressed optimism that with Ubah’s defection, the party would soon takeover the South-East in the coming elections.
“We will start a revolution, already we have two states in South East and with this timber and calibre, juggernaut, I think we have found the answer.
“We thank you for coming. I describe him as a swing politician because wherever he is that party wins.
“And we expecting this swing will swing through out South-East, especially to the other three states that don’t belong to APC,” Ganduje stated.