Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, Ogbonna Nwifuru, ahead of the March 18 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Anyim, who contested the 2023 presidential primary election of the PDP, disclosed this to Journalists at his country home, Wednesday.
He spoke at a town-hall meeting for the local government convened by Governor David Umahi.
The meeting was hosted by Mr Anyim in his compound at Ishiagu, Ivo LGA of the State.
The town-hall meeting was convened at the instance of Governor David Umahi, who has been touring the LGAs of the State, ahead of the March 18 elections to build consensus for Mr Nwifuru.
Anyim told Journalists that he was in support of power rotation in Ebonyi State.
He noted that it was the turn of the Ebonyi North zone to produce the next Governor and that he had thrown his weight behind the APC governorship candidate, Mr Nwifuru.
“I believe in power rotation and I’m in support of power returning to Ebonyi North zone and the candidate is the APC governorship candidate,” Anyim said.
The governorship candidate of the PDP in the State, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, hails from the same zone (Ebonyi South) with the incumbent Governor David Umahi and Senator Anyim.
Mr Odii emerged the PDP governorship candidate in the State after a protracted legal tussle between his camp and a faction loyal to Anyim which had Senator Obinna Ogba representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone, as its preferred governorship candidate.
The decision of Anyim, a former Senate President, came as a surprise to many, following the cold war that had existed between him and Governor Umahi.
Recall that the duo of Anyim and Governor Umahi had publicly fallen out after the Governor defected from the PDP to the APC in 2020.
Umahi even went as far as sacking all his political appointees who are believed to be loyal to Anyim.
Reacting to Mr Anyim’s stance, Governor Umahi said it shows that Mr Anyim is a true statesman who is upright and upholds the truth.
