A former deputy governor of Edo State and governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lucky Imansuen, has withdrawn from the governorship race hours before his party’s scheduled primary election slated for Saturday.
He said his reason to step down from the race was in line with the decision of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to zone the governorship seat to Edo Central Senatorial District of the State.
His decision on Friday night came a few hours after other two aspirants, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Ernest Umakhine, also announced their withdrawal from the race.
A statement Imansuen personally signed read: “I write to you today with a heavy heart to announce my decision to withdraw from the gubernatorial primaries of our great party scheduled for tomorrow, 17th February 2024 in the interest of peace and unity of our great party.
“I have come to the conclusion that since our national working committee (NWC), in their wisdom, have expressed their preference for zoning the governorship position to Edo Central Senatorial district, it’s wise to align with the decision of the party.
“I am immensely grateful for your unwavering support and belief in me throughout this journey. Your dedication and passion have been the driving force behind my campaign.
“While this decision was not made lightly, I trust that you will understand and continue to support our party as we work together towards our shared goals.
“From the foregoing, I’m ready to support whoever emerges as our candidate in the primary election scheduled for tomorrow.
“Thank you once again for standing by my side. Together, we can make a difference and bring about positive change for Edo state.”
