Presidency backs Anenih for PDP BoT seat

The Presidency has begun moves to rally support for the candidacy of a former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih as the Chairman of Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Already, five aspirants have signified their interest in the position, which former President Olusegun Obasanjo vacated in April.

Those in the race apart from Anenih are Chief Harry Akande, Senator Ahmadu Ali, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and a former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani.

It was gathered that the Presidency on Thursday met with some members of the board, and asked them to vote for Anenih on Friday night when the election will hold.

The election will take place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that while the Presidency was busy canvassing support for Anenih, some members of the board from the northern part of the country were rooting for Nnamani.

A member of the board, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the President and his supporters were of the opinion that Anenih would help him realise to his second term ambition in 2015.

The source said, “The President and his supporters are of the opinion that if Anenih emerges the chairman of the PDP, he will help the president to get second term ticket from the party.

“Apart from that, the President and his aides want someone who can checkmate Obasanjo and others who have turned out to be Jonathan’s critics.”

However, the opponents of the game plan are rooting for someone from the South-East, preferably Nnamani.

A member of the board from the North-West said it would be wrong for the President, who is from the South-South to insist on someone from the same zone to become the BoT chairman of the party.

He said, “The President is from the South-South, his deputy is from the North-West, the National Chairman of the PDP is from the North-East, while the National Secretary of PDP is from the South-West.

“So, in the running of the party, where is South-East?”

He said while it was true that people from the South-East were occupying strategic oppositions in the government, those positions were not party positions.

Obasanjo is said to be supporting Ali, who is a former chairman of the party when Obasanjo was the President.

It is however not clear if the President will support the candidacy of Anenih if his first option fails as both Ali and the Secretary of the board, Senator Walid Jubril are from the North-Central zone.

Punch Nigeria