All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Moses Ayom, has quit the race.
The leader of the agitations for the Middle-Belt Presidency in 2023 said his decision to quit the race was due to the failure of the party to zone the presidency to the Middle-Belt.
Ayom, who announced his decision at a breaking of fast ceremony with members of the Interfaith Clerics Council of Nigeria at the event centre he donated to the APC named “APC First Arena” in Abuja, was one of the first to declare to run for the presidency.
He said his withdrawal is in deference and total submission to the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee of the APC.
Adamu had told journalists at the Presidential Villa on Friday that the party has not taken any decision on the zoning of the presidency.
In a Sallah message, Ayom asked all presidential aspirants across party lines to lower their political flags in honour of the victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack who are still in captivity as he has demonstrated at his “APC First Arena” while praying for the release of the victims as well.
Recalling how he joined the race: “It all started with the visit of the Middle-Belt Christian Bishops, closely followed by the visit of the Middle-Belt Imams, all under the auspices of the Interfaith Clerics Council of Nigeria.
“I also had visits from the South-East and South-South Leaders who came to confer on me the title of Eze Igbo and 1 (The saviour of the Igbo race) and called on me to also contest.
”Since then I have been inundated with calls from women, less privileged, youth, all singing one song that they have found in me the right qualities to put Nigeria back on the map of foremost development based on my antecedents.
“I accepted this call with the hope that if elected President, relief and succour will come to our people who for decades would experience equity, fairness and justice.
“A people that have 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.
“In response to the call, we traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria starting with the Tiv Traditional Council under the Tor Tiv, HRM (Prof.) James Ayatse and all the paramount rulers in the TIV Kingdom blessed me saying “ go forth and conquer for the masses using truth as his weapon”.
Lamenting the failure of the party to zone the presidency to the Middle-Belt, Ayom said:
“However, as I speak, the presidency of the country has not been zoned and we have barely a month until the presidential primaries.”