Anenih tells PDP to forget presidency until Buhari finishes his tenure

Tony Anenih, a former board of trustees’ chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has told the former ruling party to forget about the presidency until the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari is over.

Speaking when the leadership of the Jerry Gana strategy review and inter-party affairs committee visited him in Abuja, Anenih said it was very shameful for members of the party to be struggling for the presidency and other elective positions when the party was not yet in order.

The former ruling party is torn between two opposing blocs – Ahmed Makarfi camp and Ali Modu Sheriff camp – over leadership.

Four of its members in the upper chamber of the national assembly defected to the All progressives Congress (APC) within three months.

Commenting on the challenges, Anenih said reorganisation of the PDP should be the main focus.

“When Buhari’s tenure finishes, we will know who takes over from him. When he finishes his tenure, there will be more conventions on both sides and God will lead us to choose somebody who will help Nigeria,” he said.

“He may not be a party member now, either APC or PDP, but if God says that is the person, we will vote for him.

“God will direct the party to go and bring him. If He says it is President Muhammadu Buhari, of course, he can finish his tenure, but one day he will hand over. So what is important is to organise a party.”

Anenih said selfish interest landed PDP where it is at the moment, and advised the party leaders to organise a convention that would lead to the emergence of credible leaders who can offer constructive criticism to the APC.

“Right from 2014, we have missed many opportunitiesto reorganise PDP. It is because of the selfish interest of some party leaders that PDP is where it is today,” he said.

“PDP should have been in power now but everybody wants to be a presidential candidate, national chairman… It is never done.”

He told the party leaders to stop saying they were waiting for the court of appeal judgement before reorganising PDP.

Anenih also appealed to Nigerians to pray for the speedy recovery of Buhari and his return to Nigeria, expressing worries over some negative comments about the president’s ailment.

“I think what Nigerians should do now is to pray for Buhari to come back home in good health, bring out Nigeria from the woods and reposition things,” he said.

“Let God give him speed recovery so that we can receive him. That is more important to me than talking about Osinbajo would have to resign.

‘’Why should we be talking about this? It is silly and very unfortunate.”

The elder statesman spoke after former President Goodluck Jonathan said he was happy that PDP was planning to  regain the presidency.