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hairman of Golkar North Sumatra Ngogesa Sitepu has decided to withdraw from a plan to run in the upcoming gubernatorial election as the running mate of incumbent North Sumatra Governor Tengku Erry Nuradi.

Ngogesa made the decision only days after the NasDem Party officially endorsed Tengku at an event on Sunday, which was held without Ngogesa’s presence, prompting speculation about a possible rift within the alliance.

Ngogesa cited health as the reason for his withdrawal, said North Sumatra’s Golkar secretary Irham Buana Nasution on Wednesday.

Irham also insisted that “Ngogesa’s withdrawal has nothing to do with him being left out from Tengku’s endorsement event.”

In a surprise move in late August, Golkar’s central executive board decided to support Tengku, who is the chairman of NasDem’s North Sumatra chapter.

Golkar’s decision, which paired Tengku with Ngogesa, contradicted a decision made by the party’s provincial leadership in April agreeing to nominate Ngogesa for governor.

However, Irham ensured that Golkar “continues to support Tengku,” since the decision was made by Golkar’s central executive board.

With 17 seats in the North Sumatra Legislative Council, Golkar is the biggest party in the province, which is among the most populated provinces in the country, while Nasdem controls only five seats.