PDP PRIMARIES: Presidential aspirants withdraw from race

Economists & Business man, Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen

Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, an economist and presidential aspirant under the People's Democratic Party, has withdrawn interest in contesting for the presidential race. 

The withdrawal was coming in some hours to the PDP Presidential primary and convention, slated to hold at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. Alhaji Hayatu-Deen communicated his withdrawal vide a letter to Senator Iyiorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party.

In the letter, he said he his stepping down from the presidential race due to obscene monetisation of the contest. He continued by saying he his not in the contest for political gains or inordinate ambition, "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".

He further that, his withdrawal is based on personal principles and he withdrew after consulting widely, "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".