Aide Insists he is still in YPP

Businessman and oil mogul, Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, who is also the current Anambra South Senator-elect under the platform of the Young People’s Party (YPP) has allegedly dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, disclosed that Ubah was now with the ruling party at the opening of the APC National Working Committee members, returning/newly-elected senators at the Presidential Villa, on Monday, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Oshiomhole in his opening remark said the YPP Senator-elect from Anambra South had decided to pitch a tent with the ruling party because he felt more comfortable with the winning team.

He said other issues pertaining to the defection would be perfected on a later date.

The APC chairman, however, said APC stands a better ground to control the Ninth Senate had a clear majority.

However, four days ago, Mr Ubah told newsmen that he had no plans to dump the party.

His Chief of Staff, Mr Udogu Chigozie, told WIRED Nigeria that the senator-elect is still in the YPP but needed to align with the ruling party to secure his relevance in the house.

Efforts to reach Dr Ubah on the issue by WIRED Nigeria proved abortive.

Ubah, who is currently in the camp of a leading aspirant for the Senate presidency, Ahmad Lawan, was quoted as saying at a press conference last Friday that: “I am not yet ready to defect from the YPP. I am still in the YPP. In party business, you can’t determine what would happen next. Sometimes you wake up and you will start seeing one problem or the other. For me today, I am in the YPP and I hope to remain in the party.

“The YPP is bringing a revolution of change to Nigeria. I must join a progressive group in the Senate since I cannot be alone. The YPP is the party to beat in this country. I won my election without the party having an office in any part of Anambra State.”

The APC governors that were present at the meeting included Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Simon Lalong of Plateau state, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State.