PRESS STATEMENT BY SEN. ANYIM PIUS ANYIM, GCON
RE: HOW G5 GOVERNORS, OTHER PDP LEADERS STAND ON PRESIDENTIAL CHOICE – THISDAY NEWSPAPER 17/02/2023
My attention had been drawn to a front page story in Thisday Newspaper of
17/02/2023 with the above caption. I want to state upfront that at no time
was I part of the G5 Governors and or leaders.
I am su$ciently knowledgeable about the turn of events leading to and after
the PDP Presidential primaries and have my own convictions why I should
not, in any way, be part of the G5 Governors and Leaders.
IwanttostateveryclearlythatafterthePresidentialPrimaries,Ichoseto
remain in PDP as a leader and responsible citizen of Nigeria, who should and
indeed do place Nigeria over and above my personal interest. I must confess
that this decision was reinforced by my experience from working with
President Goodluck Jonathan. It may be necessary to state that since 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 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
an age long myth and should be seen as having immeasurably become a
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source of inspiration to the future generations of Nigerian politicians andindeed 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 atthis point whom God has destined to be the next president of Nigeria isalready settled and no man can change it. It is, therefore, disheartening forpeople to make and impute assumptions on who anybody is supporting.IamcertainthatIhaveatnotimediscussedwithanybodyaboutwhowillwin and who will not win. That is the choice Nigerians will make. I have keptfaith with my party and for the bene8t of all, I am still a card-carryingmember of the PDP. I am in a very healthy mental state to speak for myselfat anytime and so nobody should speak for me.Let me, for emphasis, state that the front-page story in Thisday Newspaperof 17thFebruary,2023captioned“How G5 Governors, Other PDPLeaders stand on Presidential Choice….” has absolutely nothing todo with me.ANYIM PIUS ANYIM, GCON.2
