What Wike seeks is justice - Anyanwu

Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in this interview with LEO SOBECHI explains the conflict within the party and the efforts to unite different interests ahead of the elections.

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What is your secret to managing a party in crisis like PDP, how has it helped you manage the party? Well, first of all, because of my character and my conduct, I work very well under pressure. So no matter the circumstances, I don't lose my mind and I don't lose focus, because I know that in everything you do in life, there must be distractions, even when you read in your library, your little child can distract you. I don't get distracted and I don't talk too much, because when you open your mouth so wide, you make a lot of mistakes. That's my guiding principle, and that's why I was able to handle the situation. And besides, wherever I go, as I told you when I was president of the local council, I am known for action. I impact people's lives, I make those who work around me happy, and I have no reason to think badly of you. When people around you are unhappy with you, you will be their next target, not even from your home.

Being close to Governor Wike, what is his mindset regarding what's going on in the PDP and keeping everyone on edge? Will Wike work against the PDP presidential candidate inside the PDP or what? Well, first of all, I'm not God to know a man's state of mind. Second, Wike is a man in his own right, we are just friends, he is my very close friend, and he always remains my friend and always will be my friend. It doesn't mean that I control what he does or control his state of mind or predict what he will do next.

But, in fact, even this afternoon, if you had watched AIT, it just said that it always stays in PDP and can never go anywhere. He supports the PDP, he does not fight the presidential candidate and the vice presidential candidate, but he asks for fairness and justice and that is what he just said and he had to say what he thought of the Nigerians. So, I wouldn't know what next. All I know is that Wike is not a suitor. That I can tell you. He is a man who shows strength, he does not hide his feelings. If he is angry you will know he is angry, if he is happy you will know he is happy but go backbiting or be inside PDP and destroy PDP it can never be Wike that I know.

From what Wike says, based on promises made before the convention and what happened afterwards; like the appointment of the chief executive of the presidential campaign organization, it gives the idea that some people in the PDP want to be new owners. What do you think of all these complex demands and interests? Well, I am the head of the administration of the party secretariat. We held a convention, a candidate ran, and the presidential campaign council was also deployed. Our job, more or less, is to be midwives, we have midwives at the convention and we managed to get a presidential candidate. So whatever appointments have been made so far have nothing to do with me.

It is the candidate, of course, who decides how to campaign. Where we are involved, we will be involved. It's not that we're there to dictate who's going to be CEO or who's going to be this or that. As we speak my job is to focus on making sure that the secretariat, nationally and that things are going well, anything else that has to do with parallel politics, I don't care part.

What might your fears be for the PDP, and by extension the 2023 elections? Well, to be honest with you, business isn't going to be business as usual. In the past, when you received a PDP ticket, you went home and slept, but many interests arise. Lots of new political developments have evolved and to be honest with you, all of our prayers are that our party wins. But, we have to work hard, the party has to be united, there has to be understanding, there has to be tolerance and there has to be sacrifice. So this way I think if I'm sleeping I can wake up and say PDP is going somewhere.

As we speak, even in an ordinary family, when a wife and husband argue and argue, no one will go to the kitchen to cook, the children will go hungry, and there will be no peace in this family until the children see their father and mother holding hands and making jokes.

By then, if you hear, go bring firewood, the person will quickly go bring, go bring water, the person will quickly go get water. S...