…Canvasses for Election of candidate from Edo Central Senatorial Zone
Nigeria’s leading humanitarian activist, philanthropist, and serial social entrepreneur, Comrade Kennedy Iyere, has officially withdrawn from the 2024 Edo Gubernatorial Race. He was the gubernatorial candidate for the Accord Party. Iyere explained that he stepped back from the race in order to serve Nigeria on a broader scale, as his expertise is urgently needed by the federal government in its efforts to tackle pressing social and economic challenges, particularly the worsening food and hunger crisis that has deepened food poverty and economic hardship for many Nigerians.
In recent months, Iyere launched the multi-billion dollar “Food4All Initiative,” a strategic food security program presented to President Tinubu. This initiative aims to achieve food security for Nigeria while also creating mass employment opportunities for youth and women as smallholder family farmers through the “One-Family-One-Farmer Scheme,” a key feature of the initiative. It is worth noting that the “Food4All Initiative” is a social enterprise program established by FUND-YES Cooperative, part of the Youths Off The Street Initiative (YOTSI), in collaboration with Multi-Life Savers For The Less-Privileged.
Iyere faced significant challenges to his candidacy when his running mate, Bright Enabulele, aligned with the Edo State Chairman of the Accord Party and other political opportunists in a scheme to usurp his candidacy. In a desperate bid to achieve their goal, Enabulele sponsored both physical and media protests aimed at damaging Iyere’s reputation, but Iyere turned these challenges to his advantage. With less than two days until the 2024 Edo Guber Poll, Enabulele continues to falsely present himself as the Accord Party’s gubernatorial candidate, despite the INEC Portal confirming he is a Deputy Governorship Candidate. Notably, Enabulele had not been in Nigeria for 15 years and was in the United States during the 2024 Accord Guber Primary, which Iyere fully funded.
“My focus is no longer on the governorship seat; I aspire to serve Nigerians on a grander scale,” Iyere stated. “I aim to help restore Nigeria’s lost economic greatness. As a philanthropist with extensive international contacts and influence, I realize that serving as governor would constrain my ability to effect change. The antics of Bright Enabulele and certain leaders of the Accord Party made it clear that I should embrace a higher calling and amplify my contributions at the federal level, where I am currently making significant strides in national development.”
“I am aiding the federal government in crafting a roadmap for economic inclusion, self-emancipation, and the deradicalization of youth through social intervention programs designed to reduce unemployment and enhance entrepreneurial opportunities for youth and women. These initiatives are set to launch in October 2024, positioning Nigeria once again on the fast track to economic recovery. Our programs will create opportunities in various sectors, including agriculture, food and beverage, technology, entertainment, innovation, and creativity. Over six million youth and women entrepreneurs (as MSME owners and operators) are projected to be generated within the first year of this program. This initiative directly addresses the critical challenge of access to business capital for aspiring entrepreneurs, enabling them to start or sustain their businesses,” Iyere concluded.
He urged all eligible voters in Edo State to reject violence and vote according to their beliefs. He emphasized the importance of choosing candidates from Edo Central, arguing that it is only fair to have a Governor from that Senatorial District after 24 years of waiting. According to Iyere, there should be an equitable rotation of power among the three Senatorial Districts. He stated that his alignment with the Federal Government stems from a selfless desire to serve humanity through public service, rather than any affiliation with partisan politics. Iyere expressed that he is merely answering the urgent call to rescue his beloved country from its current social and economic crisis.
