The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim has debunked the claim made by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike that he opposed the emergence of Peter Obi, the former Anambra State Governor as the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2019 general election.
In a letter on Thursday, Anyim stated that after the nomination of Peter Obi who left PDP in 2022 to become the frontrunner in the 2023 general election as the flag bearer of the Labour Party, he was not present when meetings were convened at the residence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
While debunking the claim, Senator Anyim made it clear that he ‘did not and never shared any view with him on any candidate in 2019.’
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a statement by Governor Wike during his media chat of March 22, 2023.
“In a response to a claim that he came after Governor Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, Gov. Wike recounted how he made it possible for Gov. Peter Obi to be PDP vice presidential candidate in 2019 and that Governor Peter Obi was not appreciative.
“In Gov. Wike’s words ‘I was fought by people like Ike Ekweremadu, Gov. Dave Umahi and Pius Anyim.
“I would have ignored this misspeak by Gov. Wike, hoping that the Pius Anyim referred to is not myself. But reading it on Page 26 of Daily Sun of today 23 March 2023, confirms to me that I may be the one referred to, hence the need to put the records straight.
“It is my wish for Gov. Wike to refresh his memory, re-collect and re-confirm the following: That the PDP presidential primaries of 2019 held in Port-Harcourt and I did not attend.
“That after Gov. Peter Obi’s nomination as running mate raised some dust in the South East, PDP governors and party leaders from the South East met on the matter in Sen. Ekweremadu’s home in Enugu. I was not at that meeting.
“Thereafter, the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, held a town hall meeting with PDP leaders from the South East at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu. I did not also attend that meeting.
“I want to state clearly, for Gov. Wike’s recollection, that I did not and never shared any view with him on any candidate in 2019; neither his own candidate, who then was Gov. Aminu Tambuwal nor H/E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who won the primaries, let alone Gov. Peter Obi.
“I did not know how Gov. Peter Obi emerged as PDP vice presidential candidate and I never cared to ask but maintained a stand that the reaction that followed his nomination would also have happened to any other person from the South East.
“Gov. Wike may need to confirm from Gov. Peter that from the beginning to the end of the 2019 elections, he enjoyed my encouragement and goodwill.
“The purpose of this clarification is to keep the records straight and to reconfirm to Gov. Wike that he is mistaken if the Pius Anyim he referred to is my humble self. This is for the records please.”
