Atiku: Anenih denies PDM Elders’ C’ttee

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA— FORMER Chairman, Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, yesterday, drew the line in his support for the 2015 presidential aspiration of former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement in Abuja, Anenih dissociated himself from an Elders Committee of the Peoples Democratic Movement, a political platform that is largely connected to Atiku’s 2015 presidential ambition.

The statement followed news report, yesterday, that Anenih had been appointed as Chairman of the Elders Committee of the group.

The denial by Anenih inevitably put to question his solidarity with the mainstream of PDM, who are mostly believed to be behind Atiku.

Anenih said he was also not aware of any such appointment at the meeting PDM held last weekend at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, as he was not in attendance.

In a sharp reaction, Mr. Tonye Princewill, Chairman of the media committee of PDM, told Vanguard that there was no such thing as an Elders Committee of PDM to have drawn Anenih’s participation.

A statement by Anenih’s Personal Assistant, Peter Abulu, said: “Chief Anenih was not in Abuja when the meeting was held. If such decision was reached, those who took the decision would have either consulted with him prior to the decision or briefed him after the decision was taken.

“I can tell you authoritatively that if any such decision was taken, he was not consulted on it; and as this official reaction is being made, Chief Anenih has already contacted those who attended the meeting and they told him that no such decision was reached.

“I am not aware that we have an elders committee. But I am aware of him (Anenih) as an elder and leader of PDM.”