Zoning or not, I’ll run for president – Anyim

A former Senate President, Pius Anyim, says he will contest for presidency in 2023 whether the Peoples Democratic Party zones the position to the South-east or not.

Mr Anyim made the disclosure on Saturday in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

He said that the party was being repositioned.

Mr Anyim, who is also a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, noted that the party’s national convention would signal the commencement of its political activities.

“Posters of my presidential bid and agitations by groups for me to contest flooded the social media in 2020 and I disassociated myself from such calls.

“I felt that it was too early for such a declaration, to enable the present administration to concentrate on governance.

“Such calls resurfaced in the early part of 2021 and I chose to be quiet over the issue.

“We currently have less than 18 months to the next elections, and I feel the time is ripe to indicate my interest,” Mr Anyim said.

The former senate president hails from Ebonyi State in the South-east zone of the country. He occupied the office between 2000 and 2003.

He was recently detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud while in office as SGF.

He said that the zoning committee instituted by the party was only saddled with zoning party positions and no other positions.

“Zoning of such positions was deferred but nothing stops anyone from the South-East Zone from contesting the presidency, even if it is not zoned to it.

“The most important thing is that the party’s national convention is a sort of rebirth for a group of people who have recovered from a setback.

“The party members are focused and determined,” he added.

The PDP recently zoned the chairmanship seat to the North. However, there are indications that it would throw its presidential ticket open to all the zones.

Mr Anyim said that in spite of the party’s seeming conflict with its former Chairman, Uche Secondus, he remained a friend to many members.

“He is particularly my friend and we do not have any problem with him.”

“The issue is that the party needed to move but be assured that he is not going into (the) wilderness,” Mr Anyim said.

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