Why Anyim Dumped PDP’s Governorship Candidate For APC’s; Umahi Elated

By Charles Igbo

In a move that has shocked  many people, especially in Ebonyi State, former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, has dumped the Governorship Candidate of his Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and pitched his tent with the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Anyim, a chieftain of the PDP, was, until now, not known to have a good relationship with the State Governor, Dave Umahi, who, it is said, has succeeded in muscling every opposition in the State, a situation strongly decried by Anyim before now.

Anyim’s public support for Francis Nwifuri, the APC candidate, is bad news for the PDP in Ebonyi and the South-east where the Party is struggling to keep afloat.

Anyim made his support for Umahi’s Candidate public when he spoke to Reporters at a Town Hall Meeting in his Community, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area, organised by Umahi.

To the shock of the Leadership of the PDP, the Party did not win any Senate seat in the South-east during the 25th February  National Assembly Election. The Senate seats were mainly divided between APC and the rave of the moment,  Labour Party, LP. In Ebonyi State, it was a clean sweep for the APC in the Senatorial  election. The PDP, also, did not show much strength in the Zone at the Peoples election. That was swept by the Labour Party which Candidate is Peter Obi.

Political pundits predict that the PDP is not likely to win any Governorship seat in the three States of the Zone where the Governorship election will take place on Saturday. The States are Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu. The other two, Imo and Anambra States have off-season elections.

In Ebonyi, it waa not only Anyim who withdrew support for PDP’s Governorship Candidate.

Others are a PDP House of Representatives Member for Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency, Livinus Makwe, as well as the Deputy Governorship candidate of the LP,  Aja Nwabueze. Given that this withdrawal happened barely  two days to the Governorship election, it is not known if the LP Candidate will run without a running mate.

On why he threw the PDP under the bus, Anyim, a member, Board of Trustees of the Party, who was also a former Secretary to the  Government of the Federation during the President Goodluck Jonathan Administration, said: “I believe in zoning and rotation of the Governorship. It is the turn of Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, and the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ebonyi State, is the right person.”

An elated Umahi thanked Anyim for his courageous support for the APC Candidate.