JOURNALIST Ayub Savula has withdrawn from the Kakamega governor race and instead will contest the Lugari parliamentary seat.

Savula who is the managing director of the Sunday Express newspaper said he stepped down from the governor race following pressure from the people of Lugari that he runs for parliamentary seat.

He said he will contest the seat formerly held by Cyrus Jirongo on a UDF ticket under the Amani coalition. Jirongo will not defend the set but instead will run for Kakamega senator.

Savula's withdrawal leaves the battle for UDF ticket to Housing minister Soita Shitanda and former PC Paul Olando. The UDF winner will face the winner between Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya and Simbauni Ndombi in the ODM primaries.

"I accepted to contest for this seat after pressure from the people in Lugari," he said yesterday at Lumakanda Primary School where he met UDF delegates yesterday.

He said that the people of Lugari have lacked proper representation because they elected Nairobians who did not know the problems afflicting them.

"Problems facing the people of Lugari require home grown solutions and this can only be done through electing people who understand the problems," he said.

He aid that his leadership will prioritize improvement of education standards and agriculture. He said that if elected M area MP, he would propose for establishment of a maize milling company within pan paper forest to ensure farmers are not exploited by middlemen.