The Anyim Scare

Anyim Pius Anyim

Unsettled by the growing political profile of Anyim Pius Anyim, some politicians drum up diversionary campaigns against him
By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
As a former Senate President, constitutionally the third highest office in the country and now Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim is not a stranger to the high voltage nature of Nigerian politics. But he is obviously a stranger to guerilla politics now targeted at his person by political mercenaries.
Sources informed The Source that some individuals who percieve Anyim as too influential as SGF and a potential roadblock to their 2015 projections appear bent on haranguing the former Senate President. The calculation is that Anyim’s position as SGF makes him a formidable factor to reckon with in the 2015 presidential contest. And contrary to insinuations that some politicians in Anyim's home region, the South-east are behind the plots to harass him out of office, sources reveal that the forces against him are outside the region. The Source learnt that it has now dawned on some Northern politicians who want power back to the region in 2015 that they will have the South east to contend with.
Anyim, in their estimation could be the likely South-east face for the 2015 battle hence the onslaught against him.
Though the 2015 presidential election is still about four years away, the North and South east are alreading laying claim to the presidency. Senator Uche Chukwuemerije last month, alleged that the Islamic militant sect, Boko Haram’s current campaign of violence in some parts of the country is aimed at truncating the South east’s quest to produce the president in 2015. He not only restated the region’s preparedness to assume the presidency in 2015, but advocated that the South east should strengthen the Movement for the Actualisation of the Soverign state of Biafra, MASSOB as part of the package for the presidency project.
There are feelers that the single term presidency proposal of President Goodluck Jonathan, if it eventually sees the light of the day, would make the 2015 presidency an open contest, meaning that a new rotational arrangement among the regions will kick-off with the 2015 presidential elections. President Jonathan, this magazine was told, is not prepared to anoint any region or candidate for the contest.
Those who are not comfortable with Anyim remaining in the corridors of power up to the commencement of the next electoral contests are said to be unconfortable with his country-wide goodwill and iron-cast credibility which he has acquired through enormous credibility and trust, as head of the Nigerian Senate. Thus, his antagonists feel that the presidency pendulum will easily swing in his favour should he decide to throw his hat into the race.
And to make it look as if his Southeast kinsmen are the ones plotting against one of their own, hatchet stories about how some disechanted South east House of Representatives members are with Anyim are being sponsored in some media. The game plan is to portray the region as disunited and incapable of holding any major political office. The ugly scenario which saw the South-east produce five Senate presidents in five years is being played up as part of the alleged plots against Anyim.
Olisa Metuh, People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) National Vice Chairman (South east) recently stated that any plot against Anyim is an exercise in futility as the region is solidly behind him. A pressure group, South east Revival Group (SERG) last week, said it was aware of the anti-Anyim plot and warned politicians to leave the SGF alone. In a statement signed by Willy Ezugwu, SERG’s Coordinator-General, the group argued that it would be immoral for some politicians, especially those from the South east to start plotting against Anyim. The statement: “It is disappointing that some people can engage in acts that amount to distracting Anyim, whose choice for the position of SGF was unanimously reached by the entire people of the South east…”
Essentially, Anyim, apart from occupying the exalted SGF position is considered to be one of the credible politicians from the region.