ABUJA — Former Senate President and ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has declared that no political aspirant from the Southeast can attain the presidency of Nigeria through isolated regional efforts without constructing formidable cross-regional alliances.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise News on Monday, September 21, 2026, the political veteran emphasized that political realities in Nigeria necessitate broad-based national partnerships rather than standalone ethnic or zonal campaigns.
Reflecting on his decision to exit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Anyim explained that his transition followed a year of strategic assessment regarding which platform best serves the long-term national and regional integration interests of the Southeast. He noted that experience gathered from previous presidential primary contests demonstrated that political isolation offers no viable path to the nation’s highest office.
Addressing the debate surrounding power rotation ahead of the 2027 general elections, Anyim voiced explicit support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, arguing that respecting established rotational conventions remains essential for political stability. He contended that once the Southwest completes its eight-year tenure under President Tinubu, power should naturally rotate to the North, followed subsequently by a turn for the Southeast.
Anyim maintained that the Southeast must actively align with other geopolitical zones during the current political cycle to build the goodwill and reciprocal trust necessary to secure widespread national support when the rotation returns south. He criticized the opposition PDP for failing to honor informal rotational understandings during previous election cycles, asserting that building structured, strategic coalitions within the ruling party offers the most pragmatic route for the Southeast’s long-term leadership aspirations.
