Baba-Ahmed withdraws from Kaduna gov’ship race

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Kaduna State, Senator Yusuf Datti BabaAhmed, has withdrawn from the contest for the party’s ticket.

He pulled out of the race a day to the governorship primary in which he was expected to slug it out with a former Kaduna Governor, Ramalan Yero, and a former member of House of Representatives, Isa Ashiru.

In a terse letter to the Kaduna State PDP Chairman, Mr Hassan Hyet, Baba-Ahmed wrote: “Credible first-hand reports have apparently proved that anticipated changes in our politics are yet to hold and lessons yet unlearnt as evidenced by ongoing primaries; needless to give specifics. These are inconsistent with my purpose of being in politics.

“I hereby respectfully withdraw from the 2023 governorship contest of Kaduna State under our great party, the PDP. I, however, remain loyal and supportive. I pray for the day we get our politics right for the sake of Nigeria.”

Speaking to journalists, Baba-Ahmed said he was displeased with the PDP legislative primaries in Kaduna, but ruled out any idea of joining the ruling APC.

He said, “I am not comfortable with the way we are going about turning out aspirants into candidates. Any right-thinking politician knows that we are taking ourselves way back into darkness. This is clear and easy to see.”

Daily Trust further gathered from sources close to Baba-Ahmed that the senator pulled out of the race because of “money politics” as displayed during the just concluded House of Assembly, House of Representatives and ongoing senate elections, which they said was inconsistent with his ideology.