2023: Anyim Addresses PDP On Impressive Credentials For Presidency Run

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and frontline aspirant for the presidential ticket of the People’s Democratic Party, Mr. Pius Anyim Pius, has addressed the National Working Committee of the party on why he wants to be president of Nigeria.

Anyim who is from the South East region of the country said he spent his entire public service years working only in the Presidency, Nigeria’s central government, which gives him a unique advantage as a presidential aspirant.

He explained that he worked as a civil servant in two parastatals in the Presidency, before also becoming President of the Senate when he worked alongside the President of the country.

As the SGF, he explained that he was the “engine room of the presidency in the glorious PDP administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.”

Speaking of his rich curriculum vitae, Anyim said after becoming a lawyer, he joined the People’s Democratic Party at its inception in 1998 and has remained faithful to the party to date.

As the country continues to be confronted with myriads of challenges, Anyim said he possessed the needed “cognate experience” and capacity to lead the country.

Anyim, who described himself as a nationalist with profound knowledge of Nigeria, assured the PDP officials that, “If you give me the ticket of our great party, I shall surely win the general election and return to Government as President to continue the truncated good work, PDP was doing for the country.”

He said his blueprint to return the country to greatness was developed based on his deep understanding of the challenges confronting the country, adding that it had given him the clarity of mind to find solutions.

He said, “The purpose of my being here today is to present to you my informed pathway to rebuilding and refocusing our country on the part of growth, peace and prosperity.

“My presentation is not a manifesto as I shall implement the party manifesto but my personal pathway to give meaning to our party manifesto.”

He outlined his understanding of the problems and his evidence-informed pathway to resolving them under three broad categories, which are political, economic and social integration.

He assured that he would work assiduously to enable all components of the country buy-in to his nation-building strategy and allay the fears of ethnic minorities.

On the political partway, he said, “We shall provide a platform for broad-based consultations and frank dialogue on a generally acceptable new foundation for our nation;

“We shall put the machinery in place to harvest the views and secure the buy-in of all components of our polity and build consensus on the structure of the federation, acceptable governance system and benchmark agreed national aspiration.”

He promised to deploy a visionary leadership style that will eliminate mutual suspicion, ensure unity of purpose, inspire patriotism, and build a “nation of our dream.”

On the economic front, he said certain factors will be considered when formulating policies for the development of the country, stressing that he would promote market-based solutions which is the yardstick in managing a country’s economy in the 21st century.

He promised an “upscale of artificial intelligence and as a result, automation will displace many jobs and disruptive technologies and innovations will restructure the mode and factors of production.”

He said the pathway to economic boom for the country is to anchor economic policies on industrialization, talent and innovation, and science and technology.

Anyim said his administration shall promote various scales of industrialisation, promote micro, small and medium enterprises, his administration will also unleash the creativity of the young population in the country.

According to the former SGF, these would reduce importation, improve local production and strengthen the naira, enhance productivity, create employment, grow foreign direct investment, and adaptability of “factors of production to the demands of the 4th industrial revolution.”

He said he possessed the leadership qualities to resolve ethnic and regional agitations across the country, adding that leadership failure was responsible for the current situation of things.

He said key national policies will revolve around integrative policies to create inclusive governance, promote equality and build strong institutions based on the rule of law and not man, while also mainstreaming women, youth and the diaspora into the national development efforts.

Anyim urged the PDP not to jettison zoning as it is “a fundamental principle of our party.”

“Democracy, being a system of rules and order, depends on strong institutions for its sustenance and success. When a system can no longer defend its rules, it will enthrone the reign of might as against the rule of law.

“My appeal is that PDP should defend Sec. 7 (3) (c) of its constitution,” he said.