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March 23, 2023
Former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has replied Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to recheck his record and refresh his memory over claims that he (Anyim) fought in 2019 to prevent Peter Obi from being the presidential running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Anyim in a statement he made available to newsmen on Thursday said that Governor Wike must have mistaken him for another Anyim as he never stood against the nomination of Obi nor attended meetings where discussions against his nomination were held.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Governor Wike said he was fought by people like former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi and Anyim - former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), over his support for Obi in 2019.
Wike spoke in a media chat with selected journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, while accusing Obi, now the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, of being ungrateful, recalling how he (Wike) chose him to be Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in 2019.
But replying to Wike, Anyim said he would have ignored what he described as “misspeak” by the Rivers State Governor, but for the need to put the records straight.
Anyim said that “It is my wish for Gov. Wike to refresh his memory, re-collect and re-confirm the folliowing: That the PDP presidential primaries of 2019 held in Port Harcourt and I did not attend.
“That after Gov. Peter Obi's nomination as running mate raised some dust in the South East, PDP Governors and Party leaders from the South East met on the matter in Sen. Ekweremadu's home in Enugu. I was not at that meeting.
“Thereafter, the Presidential Candidate, H/E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, held a town hall meeting with PDP leaders from the South East at Nike Lake hotel Enugu. I did not also attend that meeting.
“I want to state clearly, for Gov. Wike's recollection, that I did not and never shared any view with him on any candidate in 2019; neither his own candidate, who then was Gov. Aminu Tambuwal nor H/E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who won the Primaries, talkless of Gov. Peter Obi.
“I did not know how Gov. Peter Obi emerged as PDP Vice Presidential Candidate and I never cared to ask but maintained a stand that the reaction that followed his nomination would also have happened to any other person from the South East.
“Gov. Wike may need to confirm from Gov. Peter that from the beginning to the end of the 2019 elections, he enjoyed my encouragement and goodwill.
“The purpose of this clarification is to keep the records straight and to reconfirm to Gov. Wike that he is mistaken if the Plus Anyim he referred to is my humble self. This is for the records please.”