Former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, may have lost confidence in the race for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 elections. Anyim, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, may have relied on zoning the PDP presidential ticket to the south to survive in the race. The former senate president and later, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, issued a threat to the PDP that the party will lose the 2023 general election if it does not zone the presidential ticket to the south.
Anyim was of the view that people supporting the retention of the presidency in the north in 2023 are pursuing personal interests.
He declared that he has the capacity to be Nigeria’s president in 2023. However, the former senate president appeared to lack the techniques of political bargaining, horse trading and consensus building in the struggler for power. In his threat, he was silent on convincing the northern stakeholders that zoning the 2023 presidential ticket to the south would guarantee victory for the PDP. Anyim was also unmindful of a counter threat from the north over the zoning agitations. Threat is not a means of peaceful negotiation and consensus building.
Meanwhile, the PDP leadership has set up a 37-member committee on zoning to advise the party.
While that is on, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Bala Mohammed, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Sam Ohabunwa, including Anyim, have declared to contest for the PDP presidential ticket in the preparations for the 2023 general elections.