A presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen on Friday withdrew from the presidential race a few hours before the party’s primaries.
In a letter addressed to the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu.
In his letter titled “Why I am stepping down as a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party”, the economist noted that his decision to pull out of the race was due to the obscene monetisation of the contest.
“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 in order 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”, Hayatu-Deen noted in the letter.
The PUNCH reports that the banker becomes the second aspirant to withdraw from the PDP presidential race following the withdrawal and resignation of a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi from the party.
Obi in his own letter had explained that “recent developments” within the PDP were responsible for his from the opposition party and withdrawal from its presidential primaries slated for May 28 and May 29, 2022.
So far, aspirants who have not stepped down include PDP presidential aspirants include former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku; two former Senate Presidents, Bukola Saraki and Anyim Pius Anyim; Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom); former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; Sam Ohunabunwa, and Dele Momodu.
The party had thrown its presidential ticket open of late attracting rebuke from socio-cultural organisations like the Ohanaeze Ndigbo which maintained that political parties like the PDP and the All Progressives Congress should zone its ticket to the South-East geopolitical zone.
Copyright PUNCH.
