PDP Power Battle: Anenih Resigned for Jonathan to Take Over

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was in ferment after its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu and chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih resigned their positions.

Mu‘azu resigned in a letter addressed to his erstwhile deputy, while Anenih’s letter was fetched from his residence last night after the NWC, issued a deadline due today for him to review his position.

Anenih in his resignation, said that he was resigning in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan to take over as Chairman of the BoT, which is what Patience Jonathan wanted for her husband.

But a senior member of the NWC of the PDP has dismissed the plot as untenable.

Anenih in a one-page letter he signed and sent to President Goodluck Jonathan, dated May 20, 2015, wrote: “Your Excellency will recall that in a conversation I had with you a few weeks ago, I had offered to step down from the office of the Chairman of our party’s Board of Trustees and proposed to hand over to you as its new Chairman in a ceremony that would have taken place on the 23rd of May, 2015. I had also repeated this position in our subsequent meetings.

“As a follow-up to the above proposal and in view of the current state of affairs in our party, I have decided to formally put my offer in writing to enable you effectively assume the Chairmanship of Board of Trustees or approve a process that will enable any other member of the BoT who is considered competent, to assume the position.

“Kindly accept, therefore, this letter as notice of my decision to step down from the position of Chairman of the BoT of our party with effect from today, the 20th of May, 2015.

“I am happy to inform you that, I remain a loyal foundation member of our great party and will continue to pray for the prosperity of Nigeria, our party, and for you and your family.

“Your Excellency, kindly accept the expression of my highest regards.”

Mu'azu's resignation makes PDP a regional party — Tsav
A retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, while reacting to the development, said: “I think he has acted very wisely because those urging him to resign felt he is the problem of PDP. Unfortunately those who championed the calls for his resignation were the ones that are supposed to leave the PDP. I am talking about people like Fani-Kayode and Ayo Fayose, whose conducts were embarrassing.

“His resignation has turned the PDP into a regional and tribal party because the North no longer has any top member in the PDP leadership. Now that he has resigned, lets see what becomes of the party.”