He is not a political noise maker
He is not a financial noise maker
He has a lifestyle akin to late President YarÁdua.

Barrister Ugochukwu Agballah is one of the greatest political strategists in this country.

I remember when he was campaigning for APGA election in Enugu State some years back. One of those days, I was discussing with my friend Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, the late son of Chief Jim Nwobodo at the elf filling station Emene where we met in the course of refuelling our cars.
We noticed hundreds of people, including women and youths running and rushing towards Oye Emene market with glee.
Out of curiosity, Ifeanyi joined me in my car as we decided to drive to the market to find out what was happening.

Before we even reached the market, we could hear thunderous ovations that indicated a huge crowd of people.
When we eventually reached the market, we could not believe our eyes at beholding the largest crowd I had ever witnessed at a political party in Emene and indeed Enugu metropolis. It was simply overwheming.
A similar scenario took place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium a few weeks later when Ugochukwu Agballah held his final political rally which turned out to be a political tsunami and the greatest turnout of political supporters for any candidate in the history of Enugu State. The records are there.
Why Ugochukwu Agballah did not win the governorship election is a question that needs no soothsayer to answer, which is the well known Nigerian factor of the party in power. Otherwise, Ugochukwu Agballah would have eneded his governorship tenure many years ago.
At a time when the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu became disenchanted with the goings on in Ohaneze leadership and was no longer comfortable being part of Ohaneze, he founded the Igbo Improvement Union which was subsequently formally inaugurated at the Royal Palace Hotel, Enugu.
I was there live. The occassion drew the cream of Igbo sons and daughters – Igbo bu Igbo – making the inauguration a standing-room-only situation. The only people not there were Ohaneze leaders. But their absence made no difference and went unoticed but for those who knew who they were.
Then came the moment of surprise. Of all the Igbo timbers and calibers politicans, academicians and business moguls that thronged the hall, when the time came for Ojukwu to announce and present the maiden National Chairman of the new Igbo organization, it was no other than Ugochukwu Agballah whose presentation by Ojukwu was greeted with a deafening ovation and endorsement. That is Ugochukwu Agballah for you.
Two years ago provided yet another instance that proved Ugochukwu Agballah as a true son of Igbo land. That was during former governor Peter Obi’s vice-presidential campaign as PDP running mate to Atiku Abubakar but the Igbo governors refused to support his candidature. Peter Obi did everything he could do to get the South East PDP leaders to support his ticket with Atiku but the governors, led by Umahi, refused, even after Peter Obi knelt down for him, and insisted that Atiku must come personally and beg them.
This was when Ugochukwu Agballah rose to mobilize unprecedented Igbo support for Peter Obi, since it the action of the Igbo governors would make it appear that Peter Obi had no political base or home support.
Ugo Agballah rose to the occasion and before one could say knife, he had mobilized thousands and thousands of Igbos for Peter Obi and what turned out to be a mother of all receptions ever staged in Igbo land attended by who is who in Igboland, including Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Jim Nwobodo and Ohaneze leaders. Thus Ugochukwu not only saved Peter Obi from what could have been his greatest political embarrassment but also saved the face of Igbos before Atiku’s northern supporters. This is also on record.
I doff my hat for whoever was able to convince Ugo Agballah to accept the position of Enugu APC Chairman, a level he is far more greater than 1000 times, how much more a party that had hitherto been in shambles and crisis of inept leadership in the state in the past one decade or so.

Somebody said that the emergence of Ugochukwu Agballah was an APC gesture to rehabilitate him. That is a foolish talk from a detractor. When everybody knows that Ugochukwu Agballah’s current financial net worth is 220% higher than the period he ran for Enugu governorship. Just as his current political and business connection has tripled between then and now.

Everybody in Enugu State knows very clearly that APC had not been on the ground in Enugu State and cannot win even at ward levels, not to talk of governorship election, due to in-house power tussle coupled with bad leadership and which has given room for Enugu State to be perceived as a one-party State, simply because there has been no strong and credible opposition party. Even APGA has since overtaken APC in both following and popularity. I know this because I was born and bred in Enugu and has lived in Enugu since then until today.

Thank God that the end of APC troubles and weakness has come, with the emergence of Ugochukwu Agballah as the new helmsman. From now, elections at all levels in Enugu State is going to be a big challenge to the party in power. Those who know Ugochukwu Agballah well know what I am saying.

This will be more so if the new chairman can work closely with the former Speaker of Enugu House of Assembly, Rt.Hon Eugene Odoh, another astute and dynamic political tactician who was the magic behind former governor Sullivan Chime’s reputation as the best governor Enugu State had had

With other APC big shots in Enugu State who have a mind to work for the people but were frustrated by self-seeking leadership all this while, the ball is set for the commencement of real political game in Enugu State. Watch out.

Mazi Omife I. Omife
Mbuze Mbaukwu.