BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
After initial denial some months ago, former Senate President, Pius Anyim, has made a u-turn and declared his interest to contest for Presidency in 2023.
He had disassociated himself from social media reports and some campaign posters depicting his ambition some months ago.
He has, however, now made the former declaration in an interview with journalists, insisting that his ambition supersedes PDP’s zoning formula.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ayim said that the party’s national convention has signaled the commencement of political activities in the party, adding it is now appropriate time to make his interest public.
According to Anyim, “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 declarations to enable the present administration to concentrate on governance.
“Such calls resurfaced in the early part of 2021 and I choose to be quiet over the issue. We presently have less than 18 months to the next elections and I feel the time was ripe to indicate my interest.”
He noted that the zoning committee constituted by the party was only saddled with zoning party positions and not elective positions ahead of 2023.
“Zoning of such positions was deferred but nothing stops anyone from the South East zone from contesting the presidency even if it was 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 presently focussed and determined to reclaim power with one spirit,” he added.
