Chief Pius Anyim, a former Senate President, has said that he will contest for the Presidency in 2023 whether the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zoned it to the South-East zone or not.
Anyim made the declaration on Saturday in Abuja on the sideline of the on going PDP national convention.
The Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) stated that the conclusion of the party’s national convention would signal the commencement of political activities in the party, noting time has come for him to indicate interest.
He noted that he denied interest for the position in 2020 because he felt that it was not time to do so.
He commended Nigerians from all parts of the country for calling on him to come and rescue the nation in 2023.
He said “Posters of my presidential bid and agitations by groups for me to contest flooded the social media in 2020 and I disassociated myself from such calls.
“I felt that it was too early for such declarations to enable the present administration concentrate on governance.
“Such calls resurfaced in the early part of 2021 and I choose to be quiet over the issue.
“We presently have less that 18 months to the next elections and I feel the time was ripe to indicate my interest.”
He noted that the zoning committe constituted by the party, was only saddled with zoning party positions and not elective positions ahead of 2023.
“Zoning of such positions was deferred but nothing stops any one from the south east zone from contesting the presidency even if it was not zoned to it.
“The most important thing is that the party’s national convention is a sort of rebirth for a group of people who have recovered from a set back.
“The party members are presently focussed and determined to reclaim power with one spirit,” he added.