Anyim Pius: ‘Obi Has Done What I Could Not Do But…’

Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, has expressed admiration for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for daring to join an unpopular political party, move it from “nowhere to a position of reckoning” and use the same platform to become a forefront candidate in the February 25 presidential election.

Anyim, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), was one of the aspirants contending for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket won by Atiku Abubakar. Obi had quit the PDP less than three days before its presidential primary election to join the Labour Party.

The former SGF lauded Obi for becoming “a factor in the political equation of the 2023 presidential election” and a source of inspiration to the future generations of Nigerian politicians.

Anyim stated this while distancing himself from a report asserting that he alongside some PDP chieftains had endorsed the Labour Party candidate for president.

Following Obi’s endorsement by a PDP governor, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, a newspaper reported that Anyim and some estranged PDP governors known as the G5 had endorsed the LP candidate.

But the former SGF said while he’s proud of Obi’s political rise, he remains a faithful member of the PDP.

“It may be necessary to state that after the PDP Presidential Primaries, I have remained a faithful member of my party, the PDP and have no intention whatsoever to leave my party, moreso as one of my campaign credits during the primaries was that I have remained in the party since 1999 even when many others had moved out and back to the PDP many times.

“On the issue of His Excellency Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, I am to say that I was in the PDP Presidential Primaries with H/E Peter Obi and others and at some point, all of us from South East met and resolved to work together, to ensure the zoning of the presidential position to South East and that whoever among us that got the ticket should be supported by the others.

“When the zoning failed, His Excellency Peter Obi pulled out and joined Labour Party while I continued to the end. To the credit of His Excellency Peter Obi, today, he has become a factor in the political equation of 2023 presidential election. I must state here and always that I AM PROUD OF HIS EXCELLENCY PETER OBI FOR DOING WHAT I COULD NOT DO.

“For me, His Excellency Peter Obi winning or not should not be the issue but rather his ability to bring Labour Party from nowhere to a position of reckoning is a huge contribution to our political development.

“He has broken on age-long myth and should be seen as having immeasurably become a source of inspiration to the future generations of Nigerian politicians and indeed has taken his pride of place in the history of Nigerian politics.

“At this juncture, let me state, and I know many Nigerians believe so that whosoever God had destined to be the next president of Nigeria is already settled and no man can change that. I equally wish to state that it is disheartening for people to make and impute assumptions on whom anybody is supporting. I am certain that I have at no time discussed with anybody about who wins and or who will not win; rather, I have kept faith in my party. For the benefit of all, I am still a card-carrying member of the PDP and I am in a very healthy mental position to speak for myself at any time,” Anyim said in a press release signed by him.