NNPP: I Withdrew My Guber Ambition, Not Disqualified By Party - Jackie-Kassim Clarifies

 

Jackie Adunni Kassim

ABEOKUTA - A female governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Adunni Jackie Kassim has denied media reports of her disqualification from the governorship race.

Jackie-Kassim explained that she was never disqualified by the party but stepped down her gubernatorial ambition in the interest of the party's unity and sportsmanship.

She disclosed this on Sunday in a press release signed by the Director-General, Jackie Adunni Kassim Campaign Movement, Fowosere Olalekan.

She maintained that her stepping down may not be unconnected with some political realignment still ongoing within the party nationwide to enable NNPP to win elections in all the states where it is fielding candidates for the election.

Jackie Kassim however, denied the statement credited to the state chairman of the party, Sunday Oginni that she was disqualified for emerging as a factional candidate of the party.

"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 to qualify 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 Nigeria as a whole".

Dr. Jackie Kassim emphatically stated that she would remain the authentic guber candidate of NNPP until certain conditions are met before she finally withdraws her candidature.

This according to her, is to the terms reached between her and the national leadership of the party in the efforts at repositioning the party in Ogun State.

She, however, appealed to all her supporters, including the Iyadunni Campaign Movement across the entire 20 Local Government Areas of the state, as well as other 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 NNPP emerges victorious in the forthcoming general elections".

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