Former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim has said the South-East needs political alliances with other regions to improve its chances of producing Nigeria’s president.
Anyim made the remarks while speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Monday, where he discussed the longstanding debate over presidential zoning and the political position of the South-East.
According to the former Senate president, the All Progressives Congress (APC) should not be blamed for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision not to zone its presidential ticket to the South-East during previous election cycles.
Anyim argued that the region could not secure the presidency by relying solely on votes and political support from the South-East.
He said his political experience had convinced him that candidates from the region would need to build relationships and alliances with other parts of the country to gain the wider support required to win a presidential election.
The former Senate president explained that this consideration was among the factors that influenced his decision to join the APC after spending about a year weighing his political options.
He said the primary concern of the group of aspirants he worked with was the political interest of the South-East, but that achieving the presidency would require cooperation beyond the region.
Anyim maintained that the South-East should also be prepared to support candidates from other regions when necessary, with the expectation that such political relationships could generate reciprocal support in the future.
“There is no amount of effort from each and every one of us that will make it possible for us to become president, if we do not have an alliance with other regions,” he said.
On the current political arrangement, Anyim said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having secured the presidency from the South-West, should be allowed to seek a second term.
He further expressed the view that presidential power would subsequently rotate to the North before eventually returning to the South.
According to Anyim, the South-East should therefore concentrate on strengthening its political relationships across the country rather than pursuing the presidency in isolation.
“But you need to support others so that they can support you,” he added.
His comments come amid continuing discussions among political parties and groups about zoning, regional representation and the prospects of different regions in the 2027 presidential election.
The debate over zoning has remained a significant issue in Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
