Hayatu-Deen withdraws from ‘obscenely monetised’ PDP presidential primary

One of the 14 presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has withdrawn from the presidential race.

He claimed that “the contest has been obscenely monetized”.

In a letter addressed to the national chairman of PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, Hayatu-Deen said the current state of the contest in PDP negates his “principles”.

“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 said. “It is therefore based on personal principles and with great humility that I have decided after wide consultations to withdraw from this contest,”

He, however, expressed his continued support for the party.

He lamented that the fundamental issues which compelled him to join the presidential race such as insecurity, poverty, and unemployment had continued to hold Nigerians hostage.