Candidate drops out as race for Villa Somalia hits homestretch

Presidential candidate Eng. Abdullahi Ali Hassan has opted out of the race as the contest for Villa Somalia intensifies barely four days to the poll.

Hassan who was cleared last week by the Presidential Election Committee having paid a $30,000 fee among other requirements announced Saturday morning he is quitting the race.

“Having consulted widely with among them politicians, educators, youth, women, chiefs, traditional leaders, business and other sectors of society, I decided to abandon the current presidential race,” said Hassan in a Facebook post.

Engineer Hassan is the founder and executive director of Mogadishu based Centre for Education and Development.

His exit leaves 23 candidates for the February 8 ballot.