Kennedy Iyere, the governorship candidate of the Accord Party for the 2024 Edo Gubernatorial election, has officially withdrawn from the race. He cited his desire to serve Nigeria at a broader level and address national issues, particularly the ongoing food and hunger crisis, as the primary reasons for his decision. Iyere had previously proposed the ‘Food4All Initiative’ to President Tinubu, which focuses on achieving food security and providing mass employment through the “One-Family-One-Farmer Scheme.”
Internal party conflicts also played a role in Iyere’s withdrawal, notably involving a conspiracy led by his running mate, Bright Enabulele, to challenge his candidacy. Despite stepping down, Iyere urged voters in Edo State to reject violence and vote their conscience, stressing the importance of power rotation among the state’s senatorial districts.
He now plans to focus on national development by helping the federal government create strategies for youth engagement, economic inclusion, and deradicalization through social intervention programs. These programs, set to begin in October 2024, aim to create over six million youth and women entrepreneurs in sectors like agriculture, technology, and innovation, offering much-needed access to business capital. Iyere emphasized that his new direction reflects a selfless commitment to rebuilding Nigeria’s economic future beyond the confines of partisan politics.
