By Suleiman Ibrahim.
Samuel Anyanwu, the reinstated National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleges that the campaign to remove him from office stemmed from his close relationship with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
This statement follows a Supreme Court ruling on Friday that nullified a previous judgment which had ousted Anyanwu from his position, ending a protracted dispute with Sunday Udeh-Okoye over the party’s national secretary role.
In an interview with The Nation, Anyanwu asserted that he was a victim of a “proxy war” waged by PDP members targeting Wike. He dismissed threats of defections from party members if he were reinstated, calling them mere “speculations.”
“Why would they be thinking of leaving just because I’m National Secretary? Most of those who are PDP governors today were not governors until after I came in as National Secretary,” Anyanwu stated. “I ushered them in, I signed their (nomination) letters that we took to INEC.”
He further emphasized his long-standing friendship with Wike, stating, “Several of those who appear to be against me are only fighting a proxy war because of my relationship with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who is my bosom friend and remains my friend! I cannot jettison my friends because of politics.”
Anyanwu also addressed his loyalty to Wike, recalling his support during Wike’s presidential aspirations. “And when he (Wike) needed me the most to support him while he was running as a presidential aspirant in PDP, I was not there for him. So now, what have I done to injure the party or anyone in it? It’s just mere speculation.”
He concluded by asserting the PDP’s strength and rejecting the notion of the party joining a coalition. “PDP is too strong and too big to be drawn into being a mere part of any coalition. Rather, people should empty their platforms and come into PDP.”
