2023: Ayom pulls out of presidential race

One of the Presidential aspirants within the fold of All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 general elections, Moses Ayom, has withdrawn from the race.

Ayom’s sudden withdrawal from the race as openly declared in Abuja on Saturday while breaking fast with members of the Interfaith Clerics Council of Nigeria at the event centre he donated to the APC and named “APC First arena” arose from alleged indecision of the party on zoning arrangement.

He specifically complained that the refusal of APC to zone the Presidency to North Central geo-political zone where he hails from , frustrated his aspiration.

He also said his withdrawal from the race was in deference and total submission to the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.

“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,” he said.

Adamu had last Friday told Journalists at the Presidential Villa that the party has not taken any decision on zoning of the presidency.

When asked where the governing party would be zoning its presidential ticket to, Adamu said such a decision was beyond the NWC and is the prerogative of the entire party, which, he acknowledged, is bigger than the chairman.

Lamenting over Adamu’s submission, Ayom said, “As I speak, the presidency of the country has not been zoned and we have barely a month to the presidential primaries.”

He also expressed dismay on the failure of the party to reduce the N100 million nomination fee for presidential nomination saying, “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.”

InIn his sallah message, Ayom enjoined all presidential aspirants across party lines to lower their political flags in honor of the victims of the Abuja Kaduna train attack who are still in captivity as he has demonstrated at his “APC First Arena” and praying for the release of the victims as well.