Hayatu-Deen gives reasons for stepping down from PDP presidential race

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has announced his pulling out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential contest.

Hayatu-Deen announced this in a statement.

He said he was withdrawing from the race because it is being monitised.

Read the full statement below:

WHY I AM STEPPING DOWN AS A PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT OF THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP).

I have been a keen observer of Nigerian politics for so many decades, but have not  been opportuned to actively participate in party politics due to my engagements in  managing critical public and private institutions, among others.

I have observed with great concern and sorrow the recent rapid deterioration of all  aspects of our national life – characterised by increasing poverty, religious  intolerance, banditry and kidnapping, monumental oil theft, corruption,  mismanagement of national assets, communal and religious strifes and near  collapse of public services and public institutions.

During my recent nationwide trips, I came face to face with angry and hungry 
youths, children, boys and girls abandoned by their states who ought to provide  them with education and vocational training. These had become the recruiting  grounds of criminals, religious and political extremists. 

I planned to ensure that the great potential that had become the hallmark of  Nigeria’s development paradigm, should be actualized during our presidency. We  planned to make Nigeria the continental economic powerhouse which would  guarantee high quality of life to the vast majority of our citizens.

I planned to provide peace by ending insurgency of all types occasioned by the absence of a robust and coherent plan and lack of engagements with those  involved and by improving the capacity of our intelligence services, the armed  forces, the police and paramilitary services.

I planned to put a final stop to the incessant closure of our universities and other  public institutions due to strikes. As we speak, another round of strikes is going on  and nobody knows when our public universities would be opened.

It is because of the foregoing that I found it morally compelling to introduce myself  into the political space in order to provide tangible solutions to these problems.

I was driven by passion and commitment to the cause of salvaging our country  which is on the verge of collapse.

My exposure locally and internationally and contributions to the nation’s economic  and political-well being positioned me to take up the challenges facing our dear  nation and – the courage to participate in this grueling exercise which most of our  elites have shunned away from. Regrettably the political system has proved to be  acrimonious, corrupt and self-serving.

For the past three months I had the privilege of intensively interacting with  Nigerians from all walks of life. This reinforces my resolve that Nigeria MUST BE  saved, otherwise our future is doomed. 

I joined the contest as a democrat, with an open mind to keenly contest and accept  the result of a process that is fair, credible and transparent. 

We have endeavoured to forge a consensus which would have facilitated a  seamless emergence of a candidate which unfortunately could not be achieved.

I wish to reiterate that I did not join party politics and to contest for the presidency  because of personal gains and inordinate ambition, but in order to serve our  country.

It is therefore based on personal principles and with great humility that I have decided after wide consultations to withdraw from this contest which has been  obscenely monetized.

I wish to thank all my supporters, especially those from my state, well-wishers,  friends, family, the extraordinary hardworking young men and women of our  campaign organization, the party leadership and members for their tremendous  support which enabled us to contribute within this short period towards changing  the character and direction of the Nigerian political landscape.

Finally, as a very loyal party member and believer in the democratic process, I will  continue to avail myself and my teeming supporters at all times to ensure victory  of our great party.

Thank You and God Bless.

Yours Sincerely,

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen