Shafiq’s decision to scrap his candidacy came after he was returned from the United Arab Emirates, where he had been living in exile since 2012, back to Egypt last month.
“I have decided to not run in the upcoming 2018 presidential elections,” Shafiq said in a statement posted online.
“I saw that I will not be the best person.”
In his withdrawal statement yesterday Shafiq appeared to have dramatically changed his tune on the situation in Egypt since his initial pledge to stand.
Being out of the country in exile “may have kept me away from carefully following updates in the homeland, of progress and accomplishments,” he said.