•Chief (Dr.) Jackie Kassim
The Daily Crucible | Tuesday, August 30, 2022
By Mariam Adekunle, Abeokuta
Simmering crisis rocking the soul of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Ogun State has taken a worrisome dimension with the party's governorship candidate; Dr. Jackie Adunni Kassim, raising the alarm that some persons were plotting to forge her signature ostensibly to originate a notice of withdrawal from the 2023 Governorship race.
Dr. Adunni Kassim was the lone female gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 governorship election in the state on the platform of United Democratic Party (UDP).
In a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in respect of 2023 governorship ambition, she alleged of plans by some members of the NNPP to forge her signature for withdrawing from the Governorship contest.
The Nigerian businesswoman and philanthropist in the petition dated 12th August, 2022, signed by her counsel, Okaide Ibikunle Akinkugbe Esq and forwarded to the national headquarters of the INEC, she alleged that some party officers were pilling up pressure on her to step down her ambition for a particular candidate after she had emerged as the standard bearer of the party in the Gateway State.
The governorship hopeful in the said petition further stated that her refusal to yield to the pressure to withdraw for another candidate however, informed the decision of those she described as "unscrupulous elements" within the state chapter of NNPP to consider the option forging her signature on the withdrawal form to pave way for their preferred candidate.
The petition reads in part: "it has come to the attention of our client that some unscrupulous elements within the party, who have formed an unholy alliance and who are still bent on achieving their sinister motives have fashioned out a plan to forward to your commission, a letter of withdrawal purportedly written by our client with a forged signature of our client endorsing same".
"In view of this, we have our client's instructions to inform your commission that she has not submitted any letter if withdrawal from the gubernatorial race to the party and neither has she instructed the party to transmit any of such letter to your commission as required by the relevant provisions of the amended Electoral Act."
The Nigerian businesswoman and Philanthropist in the petition, copies of which she made a available to the Ogun State office if the commission as well as the national headquarters of NNPP however, urges INEC to treat as forgery, any correspondence from the party indicating that she has withdrawn from the race.
Speaking in an interview with journalists yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, the two time governorship candidate in the state explained that certain conditions have to be met before she would withdraw her intentions to contest if at all she is interested in stepping down her ambition.
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