Veteran Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Conor McGregor has released a video on Instagram, urging local councilors to support his bid to run for the Presidential elections in Ireland.
With no direct route to secure a nomination, McGregor needs the backing of either 20 members of the Oireachtas (the national parliament of the Republic of Ireland) or the endorsement of four local authorities to qualify as a candidate.
McGregor, 37, has faced recent legal challenges, notably losing an appeal in July related to allegations of raping Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018. As a result, he was ordered to pay significant costs to Ms. Hand and was also entitled to €250,000 in damages, as announced by the jury in November 2024.
In the Instagram video, standing in front of a government building, McGregor criticized the current government’s handling of social issues. He stated:
“We have seen the homelessness of Irish children rise to levels unprecedented, proving this Government’s refusal to abide by and respect our proclamation where all children of Irish are to be cherished. Instead, our children abandoned. This incompetent failure of future generations has been accompanied with an intense influx of mass migration into an already severed system. Our tourism has sharply declined, while danger on our streets has risen.”
McGregor then issued a direct appeal to local councilors:
“If you want to see my name on the ballot for the presidency, I urge you to contact your local county councillors today and ask them to nominate me. Our councillors are the backbone of our communities. They work harder and deliver more for the people than those in the Oireachtas, who continue to fail this country time and again.”
He went on to encourage councillors who feel overlooked or powerless:
“If you are a councillor who feels your voice is ignored, your hands tied, and your community overlooked, then I ask you to stand with me. Nominate me, and I will give you the platform and power to be truly heard.”
McGregor has now joined a growing list of individuals, including businessman Gareth Sheridan and lawyer Nick Delehanty, seeking to secure a nomination via local councils in order to run for President of Ireland.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/nominate-me-veteran-mma-fighter-conor-mcgregor-seeks-nomination-to-contest-presidential-elections-check-video