I’m proud of my role in APC’s Ebonyi victory,’ Anyim reacts to suspension by PDP

The former Senate President, Pius Anyim, on Friday described as disappointing his suspension for alleged anti-party activities by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC).

The ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was suspended with four other members of the party on Thursday.

The quartet are former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayo Fayose, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, and Dr. Aslam Aliyu.

The PDP national leadership also referred the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, to the party’s disciplinary committee for the same reason.

There were reports on Friday that Anyim was suspended by the party over his role in the All Progressives Congress (APC) success in last weekend’s governorship election in Ebonyi State.

In a statement in Abakaliki, the ex-SGF defended his support for the APC candidate in Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, who defeated PDP’s Ifeanyi Odii in the election.

He argued that the PDP NWC imposed Odii, who is from the same zone as Governor Dave Umahi, in defiance of the zoning principle in the state.

“It is difficult to explain why the NWC is in a hurry to suspend leaders of the party without recourse to a fair hearing, without which their action is null and void.

“The NWC may wish to know that I am proud to have supported the APC Gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State to win the election because that conforms to the equitable formula in Ebonyi State.

“On the day the party’s presidential rally was held in Ebonyi State, I told Dr. Iyorchia Ayu that I was boycotting the rally because I cannot support the candidate they imposed on Ebonyi State.

“Dr. Ayu did nothing. He did not care even as I did not attend the Ebonyi rally.”

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