A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has dissociated himself from the announcement of Governor Bala Mohammad and Senator Bukola Saraki as the preferred Northern consensus candidates for the PDP by the Prof. Ango Abdullahi-led committee.
In a statement by the Director-General, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen Campaign Organization Isa Galaudu, the politician said he could not reach an accord with Saraki, Bala Mohammed and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal before they parted ways on the issue.
“For the record, it must be stated that the four candidates seeking a consensus had agreed that the process had collapsed prior to this announcement. The candidates could not reach a compromise resulting in the decision of our principal, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and Governor Aminu Tambuwal to discontinue the process.
“The purpose of the meeting yesterday (Saturday) was for candidates who participated in the consensus process to express their gratitude to the Northern Elders for their efforts in seeking a consensus.
“Unfortunately, one of the candidates had other plans which led to a press conference that misrepresented the outcome of the closed-door meeting.
“After this announcement, we consulted with the Northern Elders’ Forum and agreed that the campaign of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen would henceforth proceed independently to maintain the sanctity and integrity of the People’s Democratic Party.
“The sham news conference we witnessed yesterday reiterates the fact that Nigeria needs a new breed of leaders. We believe that true leadership should be built on the principles of truth, integrity, and equity.
“Going forward, the focus of our candidate, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, is to prove to our great party and Nigerians in general that he is the best man for the job, as we proceed towards a truly democratic process at the PDP primaries.”