₦airaland Forum

As the race for the 2023 presidential election gathers momentum, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, frontline aspirant, on Friday took his consultations to the South-West.

Anyim, who is aspiring on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), kicked off his consultations with the leader of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba, at his Lagos home.

Anyim also visited Chief Olabode George, former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) and Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere.

The visit to the three leaders is the commencement of his wider consultations with South-West leaders.

Anyim, former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), told Gani Adams that he had come to consult with him on his aspiration to lead the country after President Muhammadu Buhari and to seek his blessing.

Aare Gani Adams who was happy at the visit prayed for Anyim and wished him well in his political aspiration.

Chief Bode George said Anyim has the requisite character and competence to lead the country.

“You are a highly responsible character. You became the Senate President, the country’s number three citizen. You were in the federal civil service. You were Secretary to the Government of the Federation. So you have gathered experience, capacity, character, knowledge. I have  no doubt in my mind that you will be a good leader.”

Chief George advised Anyim to preach peace on his campaign tours.

“I know you as a first class planner. It shall be well with you,” he said.

Anyim had told Chief George that he came to seek his blessings and to formally inform him of his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Addressing George who is a founding member of the PDP, Anyim said: “One unique thing to watch out for in 2023 is that the children of democracy in 1999 are stepping in to take charge.

“On the surface, it may look ordinary but it is significant. I am one of the children of democracy. We want to advance the legacies you, the founding fathers of PDP and this democracy, bequeathed to us.

"We can rebuild and refocus this nation and advance the cause of democracy. The country must move forward as a united entity but on the three building blocks of equity, fairness and justice.

“I have come for you to show me the way, to carry me on your back across the bridge.”

Bode George wished him well.

“I want to tell you that my back is big enough to carry you. I wish you well.”

George who lent his support to zoning said, “Our brothers from the Southeast must come together and have a direction. There must be no spoilers. By whatever parameter, what is good for the goose, must also be good for the gander.
Anyim told Pa Adebanjo that he came to consult with him and seek his blessings.

The 2023 presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Anyim Pius Anyim, has stated that economic expansion in Nigeria can only be achieved through innovation, science, and technology. In his words, these tools are necessary to ensure that Nigeria thrives in the 4th industrial revolution.

Addressing the economic problems facing the nation during an interview with Arise News, the former Senate president and one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) believes that using a different approach is the only way out of the current economic situation.

During the interview, Anyim Pius Anyim noted that for expansion to take place in the country’s economy, Nigerians must become flexible to the adoption of innovative ideas in science, technology and management to stabilize the already wobbling economy.
The Nigerian unemployment rate hit an all-time high of about 33.3% from the previous record of 27.1% in early 2020. To put the fact in perspective, it is estimated that the number of unemployed Nigerians currently stand at 23,187,389.

As a former leader who played an active role in national development during his tenure, Anyim Pius Anyim feels the issue is a setback and as such, one of the major problems he is going to tackle if he wins the coming 2023 elections.
While he is yet to win the party’s mandate to run for president, he has already made it known that fixing the Nigerian economy ranks high on his presidential agenda. By his projections, creating a more robust economy built on an industrial revolution will diversify the opportunities existing in the nation, create more jobs for Nigerian youths, while tackling unemployment. It will also generate an alternate revenue stream of income for the nation’s purse.

Pius Anyim Pius has the integrity to back his words. A former winner of the Zik award for leadership and national contribution, he already has the capacity to fulfil the promises to solve one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges.
With ground breaking ideas coming to fore from different parts of the world, Anyim Pius Anyim has encouraged the embrace of science and technology as it is a probable option to further stabilize the Nigerian economy.

Former Senate President and current presidential aspirant Anyim Pius Anyim has called on Nigerians to choose an all-inclusive government in the forthcoming elections. In an interview with Arise News, he expressly stated that the government must be structured in a way that Nigerians from all parts of the nation feel a sense of belonging, responsibility and inclusion.

There have been several obvious economic and infrastructural challenges that have hindered Nigeria from stringing together a consistent period of high performance. There is perhaps no bigger reason than this, as to why growth has been in spurts. Asides from being perceived as; a lot of people have said that the activities of previous administrations have shown strong signs of exclusion of the people.

The challenges of the country have been further aggravated by sectionalism, tribalism and marginalization. Different factions from the east, west, north and south have sprung up, making several demands in their small circle. Not one time however has there been togetherness in approach and oneness in demands. This has inevitably resulted in what has seemingly been a “divide and conquer” approach by the government.

This division is also seen in the government where specific positions have been reserved for people of a certain class, tribe or community, despite the existence of a supposed federal character policy in the constitution.

In the words of former Senate President – Anyim Pius Anyim, equity and fairness must be the pillars of anyone who aspires to ascend to the number one position in the nation and bring about a new government with a different approach. An inclusive government will surely help Nigerians build a better society where everyone feels that they have a stake. “Make people know that they are stakeholders in the nation, and watch everyone play their part.” He said in one of his responses.

While sharing more information about the kind of government he would run, he noted that his government will make sure to collect the opinions and desires of the people from all areas before developing policies. That way, it is the will of the people that will stand, and not just a certain faction of public office holders, shoving policies down the throats of average Nigerians. Consensus must be built among the populace before any decision that will affect millions of Nigerians can be taken at the federal level.

Anyim Pius Anyim is hoping that everyone can see this as a huge paradigm shift and will throw their weight behind him as he contests for the opportunity to represent his party as the chosen candidate. On the other hand, the elections are forthcoming and Nigerians are hopeful that the forthcoming government will herald a new era of progress for Nigerians.

Members of the top echelon of the Nigerian political space have been towing in line to express their full support of Anyim Pius Anyim’s political ambition. Anyim Pius who is a former Senate President and a one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced his ambition to run for the Presidency, come 2023. He has been garnering support from all quarters and to those who might be wondering why, here are 3 reasons why this is the case.

Proven Leadership Capacity

Anyim Pius has always advocated for good governance. During his tenure as a senate president, he led one of the most dynamic senate houses during the presidential tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo. One of the bravest things he did at the time was to properly adjudicate an impeachment attempt against the then-president. He was also one of the people that instigated the investigation into the ICPC. He kept his word by not running for a second term in office after he had seriously kicked against it for all political officeholders.

An Astute Bridge Builder

Anyim Pius Anyim assumed the Senate President’s seat at a time when the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of government were at an impasse. A lot of things were non-functional and as a result, he had a major rebuild on his hands. That was not the only challenge. Many people thought that he didn't have the capacity to lead the senate. However, he went about his task in a unique way. He used the unanimous support of the senate to mend the broken relationship between the three tiers of government. He won the buy-ins of both the previous and current leaders while bridging the gap in thoughts and ideas of the government arms to produce a united leadership.

Strong Moral and Mental Fortitude

Anyim is a sacrificial leader and has never been driven by personal gains. One of the many things that Anyim did as the senate president was to change the financial modus operandi of the house of Senate. Prior to his tenure, the Senate president had total control of the funds, hence, could award budgets and contracts to committees instituted by him. This created a loophole in the national budget. While many others could have exploited that loophole, Anyim made sure to sacrifice that opportunity and instigated a different approach, so that the country could be run better. He created a transparent system of financial management that has since been the go-to process of handling the Senate finances.

Amongst many other reasons, these are just a few reasons why the political and social elites are starting to put their weight behind Anyim Pius Anyim. Having been in the corridors of power, he is someone who understands all the loopholes and has the moral and mental fortitude to put an end to most of the economic and leadership problems that are currently troubling the nation.