An All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant and leader of the agitations for Middle-Belt Presidency come 2023, Moses Ayom, has abruptly withdrawn from the impending race, citing irregularities.
He attributed his decision to the last minute dumping of the zoning arrangement by the leadership of the APC.
Ayom, according to a statement by his media office in Abuja within the week, announced his withdrawal while breaking fast with members of the Interfaith Clerics Council of Nigeria, at an event centre he donated to the APC.
The party chieftain disclosed that his withdrawal from the race was in deference and total submission to the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.
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He said, “On the basis of all these, I wish to state without any form of equivocation, that I am standing down my aspiration for the presidency of our country summarily. I wish to state very boldly that we shall return at the right time.”
It’s noteworthy that Adamu had penultimate week told newsmen at the Presidential Villa that the party had not taken any decision on zoning of the presidency.
When asked where the ruling party would be zoning its presidential ticket to, Adamu replied that such a decision was beyond the NWC and was the prerogative of the entire party membership, which he acknowledged was bigger than his position as the party National Chairman.
Ayom said part of the reasons he wanted to contest the election was to bring relief and succour to his people at the Niger-Delta, who according to him, “for decades had not experienced equity, fairness and justice.”
He opined, “A people that had suffered untold marginalisation and maltreatment in the form of economic and social deprivation arising from political slavery. The wanton destruction of lives and property through terrorism, banditry and kidnappings which had been meted out to the region is a classical example.”
On the failure of the party to zone the presidency to the Middle-Belt, Ayom replied that the APC ought to embrace equity and fairness, while expressing dismay at the failure of the party to reduce the N100 million presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the party.
He said, “Furthermore, I made another passionate call to the leadership of our party a few days ago, to align with the call of Mr. President to avoid the pitfall of conceding the elections into the hands of the highest bidder.
“I called for the review of the high prices for nomination form, the highest in the history of the country. The Interfaith Clerics Council also wrote a letter and visited the National Chairman, asking for a review of the prices, all to no avail.” Ayom frowned.
The withdrawn aspirant advised the President not to jettison the economic diversification policy of his government. He said, “While I withdraw from the race, I want to remind President Muhammadu Buhari of the good decision he took to diversify the economy as soon as he took over the mantle of leadership of this country.
“The specific case of going into partnership with China to sign some MOU in 2016 is an issue here. The President made history by taking me along with Aliko Dangote to China for those deals aimed at diversifying the economy.
“In that business presidential trip, the Federal Government signed $6bn currency swap to facilitate trade between China and Nigeria and to reduce the pressure on foreign reserve. The second agreement, which was the $2.6 billion signed by Aliko Dangote in the mining sector, has started yielding fruits.
“The third was the contract signed by Rev. Moses Ayom on behalf of Granite and Marble, with World’s largest manufacturer of mining equipment, China’s SBM. It is heart-warming that great milestones achievements have been recorded, notably the recent commissioning of the fertilizer company by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, which is the second largest in the World.”
Nigeria’s politicians have apparently turned the political space to a laughing stock, or a comic stage. On a daily basis, a certain Nigerian must declare his intention to emerge as the country’s president come 2023. Funnily enough, one would declare today; the following day, he would withdraw his interest unannounced.
So, this very aspirant actually declared his interest owing to the APC’s initial zoning arrangement? That means, he can’t contest for power if the leadership structure isn’t zoned to his people?