PDP ‘ll win 2015 polls – Anenih

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

…First meeting with Obasanjo after 6 years, says he is my leader

ABEOKUTA—Chairman Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih declared Monday that the party would do what it knows how to do best to win the next general election in 2015.

Chief Anenih, who spoke to newsmen after he held a closed door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, described Obasanjo as his leader despite their differences.

It was the first meeting between the two since 2007 when the former President replaced Anenih as chairman of the PDP BoT.

Anenih, who arrived Obasanjo Hilltop residence in Abeokuta at 12:pm was accompanied by Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, his counterpart in Katsina State, who is also the Chairman South West Reconciliatory Committee, Ibrahim Shema, former governors of Kaduna, Nasarawa and Ekiti states; Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Adamu Abdulahi and Segun Oni respectively.

Chief Anenih & President Jonathan
Also in the attendance were members of Board of Trustee from Lagos and Oyo states, Mrs Aduke Maina and Shuaib Oyedokun and former Chairman of the party in the state, Oladipo Odujinrin.

Anenih, however, kept mum on what transpired at the meeting but said the public should wait for the result of the meeting .

Speaking on the chances of the PDP in 2015 election, the BoT Chairman who is known as ‘Mr Fix it’ said “why not, we take it one after the other. PDP is a party to beat, when the time comes, I assure we will do what we know how to do best”.

When asked about the purpose of his visit to Obasanjo, Anenih said “I am here to see my leader, I am here to pay my respect and indeed I am here with my colleagues, some members of the board of trustees of our party to discuss some issues that affect the corporate existence of this country, issues about the insecurity of the country and about the party itself, PDP, the biggest party in Africa. Those are the reasons we are here. My colleagues are all here, we are about eight of us.

“As you see, we are all smiling, don’t you see me smiling? And my leader too is smiling. So we are quite happy about the outcome. For now, it is not for public consumption.

When pressed further whether they discussed the problems of the party in Ogun State, the South West zone and at the national level, Anenih said “ I said we discussed issues that affect the party itself. Wait for the results”.

On the problem of Boko Haram insurgency, the BoT Chairman said “you want us to discuss the issue of amnesty in public here? That is a security matter”.

Anenih, however, reacted to the declaration by Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun that the PDP is dead in the state, saying, “let me tell you, almost all of us here are members of PDP in Ogun, the leader of the party and former president is here, so you cannot say that PDP is dead in Ogun State.

Meanwhile, the State executive members of the party were disappointed when Chief Tony Anenih refused to address them at the party secretariat, Kuto, Abeokuta.

The Bayo Dayo-led executive members and other supporters of the party had gathered at the party secretariat close to Obasanjo Hiltop residence waiting for the delegation to come and address them, but, Anenih and his entourage just drove past the party secretariat.

The PDP in Ogun State had been enmeshed in crisis since 2011 which led to three factions before the National Working Committee of the party waded in and recognized the Bayo Dayo-led executive.

Vanguard, however, gathered that the Tony Anenih-led delegation decided not to get involved in the crisis of the party in the state so as not to give a wrong impression.

Via Vanguardwp_posts