A former Managing Director and Chief Executive of FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has withdrawn from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential race, saying “the process has been obscenely monetised”.
Few hours to the PDP National Convention to elect a 2023 Presidential candidate, Hayatu – Deen in a letter addressed to the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, dated May 28, 2022 said, “the campaign has reinforced his resolve that Nigeria must be saved, otherwise the future is doomed.”
He lamented that “for years he observed with great concern and sorrow the recent rapid deterioration of all aspects of Nigeria’s 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.”
The letter partly read, “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.
“It is because of the foregoing that I found it morally compelling to introduce myself into the political space 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 gruelling exercise which most of our elites have shunned away from. Regrettably, the political system has proved to be acrimonious, corrupt and self-serving.
“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 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.”
The foremost Economist and Banker assured that as a loyal party member and believer in the democratic process, he’ll continue to avail himself and his teeming supporters at all times to ensure the victory of the PDP.
