South African ruling party, African National Congress (ANC) has backed business mogul and current Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as the apparent heir of Jacob Zuma.
Hours to vote of no confidence that was scheduled for Thursday, Zuma succumbed to pressure from the party that had championed for his resignation.
"The decision by the president to resign is consistent since we had highlighted earlier that he can never defy the party stand," said the statement released by the party.
Constitutionally, Ramaphosa will now temporarily take over and within 30 days, the ANC controlled parliament shall officially elect him as replacement.
In the statement, the party added, all elected MPs under Africa's oldest ruling party would vote for Ramaphosa as next president.
"ANC now expects all deployed MPs to cast vote for Ramaphosa, our chosen candidate when parliament reconvenes."
Not long ago, Raila Odinga reportedly met Rampahosa in Zanzibar moments to inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
During the Kenyan crisis in 2008, PNU wing of government rejected Ramaphosa's intervention on alleged closeness with Raila.