Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto has withdrawn from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential race, barely few minutes to the commencement of voting at the Special National Convention of the party.
Tambuwal urged his supporters and delegates to vote for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar at the convention on Saturday.
He said that having consulted widely across the country, he decided to withdraw from the race for posterity.
“There must be a time for a leader to make sacrifice,” he said.
He said that his decision was to minimise rancour and foster unity in the party and to ensure national unity.
Tambuwal was the fourth aspirant to withdraw from the race after former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze and Mr Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Reacting, Atiku on his Twitter handle, thanked him for the gesture.
“I look forward to working with you as we unite our party and our country,” he tweeted.
