By CHARLES IWUOHA

Former secretary to the government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim has cleared the air to contest the 2023 presidential election.

He added that whether the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) zoned its presidential ticket to the South-East or not he will join the race.

The former Senate President spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday during the party’s national convention.

According to him, the PDP special national convention would signal the commencement of political activities in the party, thus the need to declare his interest.

Anyim said the national convention of the party is going to be like a rebirth for the PDP, a gathering of people who have recovered from a setback they had some years back.

His words: “Posters of my presidential bid and agitations by groups for me to contest flooded the social media in 2020, and I disassociated myself from such calls.

“I felt that it was too early for such declarations to enable the present administration to concentrate on governance.

“Such calls resurfaced in the early part of 2021 and I choose to be quiet over the issue.

“We presently have less than 18 months to the next elections and I feel the time was ripe to indicate my interest.

He noted that the zoning committee instituted the party was only saddled with zoning party positions and not other positions.

“Zoning of such positions was deferred but nothing stops anyone from the southeast zone from contesting the presidency even if it was not zoned to it.

“The most important thing is that the party’s national convention is a sort of rebirth for a group of people who have recovered from a setback.

“The party members are presently focused and determined to reclaim power with one spirit,” he said.

Anyim said that despite the party’s seeming infraction with its former Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, he remained a friend to several members.

“He is particularly my friend and we do not have any problem with him,” Anyim said.

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