From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The defection of former Senate President and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim and his loyalists to the All Progressives Congress(APC), didn’t come as surprise to many  political watchers especially those from Ebonyi State where he hails from.

Political watchers believe that their defections was long overdue following  their romance with  Governor Francis Nwifuru during the 2023 governorship election campaign and his administration since it came on board.

Anyim, and Obinna Ogba who represented Ebonyi Central in the Senate between 2015 and 2023, former House of Representatives members  Livinus Makwe who is Anyim’s  political son, Anayo Edwin Nwonu and some other PDP bigwigs also loyal to the former Senate President, formally joined the APC during the party’s local government rally for the just concluded local government and councillorship elections across the state.

There was intractable crisis in the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) over the leadership of the party and who flies the party’s governorship ticket for the 2023 general election. The party was polarized as a result of the crisis with a faction loyal to Anyim and another  loyal to Chief Ifeanyi Odii. Odii had the upper hand in the supremacy battle in the party and snatched the party’s structure from Anyim,  flew the  governorship ticket but lost.

Anyim and his loyalists refused to support Odii for the governorship election. All efforts made by Odii to have their support, hit the rock.  They  rather  supported  the governorship candidate of APC, Chief Francis Nwifuru who later won the election. In fact, it was in Anyim’s house in Amagu, Ishiagu that a meeting was held a week to the election. The meeting was organized by the then Governor of the state, Sen. David Umahi  who is now Minister of Works.

At the meeting, Anyim said he was supporting Nwifuru in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.  He told the mammoth crowd at the meeting that the governorship position in the state rotates among  three zones; North, South and Central and that it was the turn of Ebonyi North where Nwifuru hails  from to produce the next governor of the state. He urged the people of his local government, Ivo to vote for the APC governorship candidate at the poll.

During the election, APC won Ivo convincingly. APC also won Ishielu where Obinna Ogba hails from. PDP only won Onicha local government, the southern part of the state where its governorship candidate, Odii hails from. Odii went to tribunal to challenge the election  but lost. He also went to Appeal and supreme court and lost.

After the supreme court judgment,  PDP bigwigs and members loyal to Anyim and even Odii , started defecting to APC. Obinna Ogba left the party, Anayo Edwin Nwonu, Lazarus Ogbe, a former House of Representative member, fourth term House of Representatives member, Sylvester Ogbaga, the party’s local governments and ward executive and many others dumped PDP for the APC. Their defections adversely affected the party(PDP) as it was left with few bigwigs. Only Anyim remained in the PDP till few weeks ago when he resigned from the party  but refused to declare for any party until last Saturday when he defected to the APC.

Anyim has been attending every major function of Governor Francis Nwifuru and the state government since the Governor came into power and has chaired most of the events. He chaired the 83rd birthday celebration of a former Governor of the state, Chief Martin Elechi organized by Governor Francis Nwifuru in his honour. Anyim also chaired the one  year celebration of the governor at the Abakaliki Township stadium among other events. He was seen by political watchers as part of the APC-led administration  in the state even when he had not defected to the ruling party.

On Saturday July 13, 2024 when he openly joined APC during the party’s local government campaign for the local government and councillorship elections,  political watchers saw it as a mere formality. The event was a grand finale with the National Chairman of APC, Alhj Abdulahi Ganduje, other members of the National Working Committee of the party, Chairman of Progessives Governors’ Forum, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, Ministers and other National leaders of the APC in attendance.

Anyim told the crowd that he joined the APC because of the all-inclusive administration Governor Francis Nwifuru was running in the state. 

He said “my name is Anyim Pius Anyim, former president of the Nigerian Senate and former secretary to the government of the federation, I have the mandate of the good people of Ebonyi State to present to the National chairman and members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress our political resolutions as follows:

“In appreciation of the great work our dear Governor -RT Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is doing in our state, in particular his successful reconciliation of all the various divides in the state, we have resolved to collapse the whole of Ebonyi state into one political family and that political family is All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We note the enormous social, political, and economic challenge facing Nigeria today. It is therefore not a time for political shadowboxing but rather a time for patriots to collaborate at all levels to support Mr. President as he navigates our nation through these challenging times. Accordingly, we have resolved to collaborate with our governor and all the federal appointees from Ebonyi State to upscale our support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“.We  have resolved to use this opportunity to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to rally behind President Bola Tinubu as he steers the ship of our nation to peace and prosperity. Mr national Chairman, Your Excellencies, at this juncture, permit me to invite the former gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party-ARC Dr. Edward Nkwegu (OFR) to present our team from the Labour Party. Mr national Chairman, your Excellencies, permit me to also invite distinguished Senator Obinna Ogba to present our team from the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Your Excellency the national chairman, your excellencies our Governors,permit me, in conclusion, to say that the event of today would have been dull and colourless without your presence, we are honored and elated by your distinguished presence alongside the members of the national working committee.

“To the governor of lmo State and the chairman of the South East Governors forum, His Excellency, senator Hope Uzodinma and other distinguished guests, words are not enough to convey our gratitude for your presence. We can only say thank you.

To our Governor RT. Hon Francis o. Nwifuru, I must say that the credit for today’s event goes to you who has created a conducive political atmosphere in Ebonyi State for this to happen. Your Excellency, we are deeply grateful for the leadership you have provided and the honour you have done to us”.

Receving the former Senate President into the APC, the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje described his defection as a thing of joy.

He further described him as a big fish and assured that the party will carry him and other defectors along in the scheme of things.

Chairman of Progressives Governors’ forum and Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, also hailed the former SGF defection which he said will boost the party in South East.

He described Anyim as a man with national recognition who understands the dynamics of politics and a man who has contributed his quota to national development.

“I am happy that all this while, members of our team, our first eleven have been at the bench. They are now coming from the bench to go into the field so that we can score early goals.

Anyim Pius Anyim is a man endowed with wisdom, a man with national recognition, a man who understands that dynamics of national politics, a man who has contributed his own quota towards national development and today, through alignment and realignment, we are trying to create a political force that will serve and bring the entitlements of our people.

“Today, I am the happiest man on earth. So, my brothers and sisters, I share with you the joy of victory, I share with you the joy of unity, the joy of the dividends of democracy”, he said

Minster of Works, Sen. David Umahi told the crowd that Anyim had advised him that two of them should join APC when he(Umahi) was the state governor and he told the former Senate President that it would distract him.

He noted that when he decided to join the party, he didn’t inform Anyim and apologised to him for not telling him when he was joining the APC in November 2021.

Umahi said “let me very highly commend the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim who is formalizing his relationship with APC because during the 2023 general elections campaign, he contributed a lot to the success of APC.  He is also a big friend of the  President.

“I recall when I was Governor in PDP, he told me let us decamp to APC, I said no, it will disorganize me. Unfortunately, when I moved, I moved without him so I offer my apologies to his His Excellency, Sen. Anyim Pius today. God makes things beautiful at his time. And so, the character mannerism of APC can never elude your Excellency”.