2023: Ogun NNPP female governorship candidate Jackie Kassim withdraws from race

By Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta

New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) female governorship candidate in Ogun State, Dr. Jackie Adunni Kassim has pulled out from the race.
Dr Kassim stepped down her candidature at the weekend to allow peace to reign within the party in the state.
It was learnt that the ex-Spear magazine cover girl’s reason for stepping down may not be unconnected with some political realignment still ongoing within the party nationwide to enable NNPP win election in all the states where it is fielding candidates.
The only female gubernatorial candidate in 2019  governorship election in the state on the platform of United Democratic Party (UDP), however, denied a statement credited to the state chairman of NNPP, Sunday Oginni, that she was disqualified for emerging as a factional candidate of the party.
She refuted this in a statement on Sunday by Director General, Jackie Adunni Kassim Campaign Movement, Fowosere Olalekan.
She said: “I am the only qualified governorship candidate on the platform of NNPP that obtained the nomination form as well as paid all the stipulated dues. All other so-acclaimed candidates were mere dummy aspirants, who never meet up with the criterion set down that would have enabled them qualified for the contest.
“But because of some clandestine moves by some personalities, which I considered would be inimical to the overall progress of the party and have the tendencies of affecting the fortunes of the party in the forthcoming general elections, I consider it exigent and in the spirit of sportsmanship, to sacrifice my guber ambition in the interest of the party, particularly when the purpose of the contest is to serve humanity in my state and in Nigeria as a whole.”
Kassim stated that she would still remain the authentic flag bearer of NNPP and won’t withdraw finally until certain conditions were met.
This according to her, is in accordance with the terms reached between her and the national leadership of the party in the efforts at repositioning the party in Ogun State.
She to all her supporters, including the ‘Iyadunni Campaign Movement’ across the entire 20 local government areas of the state, as well as elders and other loyal members of NNPP to remain calm and join hands with the leadership of the party in the state towards ensuring that it emerge victorious in the forthcoming general elections.