Tony Anenih explains why he resigned as BoT Chairman

 

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Anenih, has said his resignation Wednesday, was to allow President Goodluck Jonathan take over the position. Mr. Anenih had earlier resigned his position citing the current state of affairs in the party as his reason. 

In a one-page letter President Goodluck Jonathan, the leader of the party, Mr. Anenih said his decision to quit would enable the president to effectively assume the chairmanship of the BoT.

The letter dated May 20, 2015 and titled: “Notice of my decision to step down as Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Mr. Jonathan leaves office on May 29 following his defeat by his All Progressives Congress challenger, Muhammadu Buhari, in the March 28 presidential election.

The letter reads: “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,” the letter said.

Mr. Anenih’s resignation followed a similar decision by the party’s chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, who also stepped down on Wednesday as the ruling party faces its gravest crisis in its 16-year history.

The PDP has been in turmoil since it lost the presidential election which held March 28. The party also lost most of its states especially in the north to the All Progressives Congress, APC. 

The APC has also snatched the majority number of seats in the two chambers of the National Assembly. Top members of the party, including governors, have been calling on the NWC members to resign their positions for leading the party to its most disastrous outing since 1998. 

Already, the party has ordered the investigation of one of its top members, Femi Fani-Kayode, for criticising its leadership.

In a sign the party’s crisis may be far from over, officials on Wednesday questioned why the PDP hastened to announce that it had accepted the resignation of Mr. Anenih, when the former BoT chairman’s letter was addressed to President Jonathan.

The disclosure by Mr. Anenih that President Jonathan would likely become the next BoT chairman, has a precedent in the party. On the eve of his exit from office, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had caused the PDP Constitution to be amended to reserve the chairmanship of the party for past president. 

The constitution was, however, altered in during the 2012 Convention to open the position for others.

Mr. Anenih, who had been the PDP BoT chairman before Mr. Obasanjo, was reappointed into the position when the former president resigned in April 2012.

The former president said he resigned to have more time to develop his Presidential Library and to mobilise and encourage investments in Nigeria and Africa.

He left the party in February this year.