Nicola Sturgeon resigns as first minister of Scotland on Wednesday after eight years in the position, an announcement that shocked the nation.
The head of the Scottish National Party (SNP) made the declaration at a news conference in Edinburgh.
Sturgeon noted that she acknowledges the "time is now" to quit and that it is "right for me, for my party, and for the country," CNN reported.
Nicola Sturgeon emphasized that the decision was not made in response to pressing issues.
The independence of Scotland has been a source of contention between her and the London administration, and the decision by Westminster to prevent a Scottish bill that would have allowed trans persons in Scotland to alter their legal gender without a clinical diagnosis has only increased tensions.
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Who Are Her Possible Replacements?
Moreover, Nicola Sturgeon resigns as leader of the SNP, but she will stay in her position until her replacement is chosen.
Her possible replacements include Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, SNP's Angus Robertson, and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, according to BBC.
When Scotland decided to remain a member of the United Kingdom in a 2014 independence referendum, Sturgeon ascended to the position of party leader for the governing SNP.
She made history as the first woman to head any of the United Kingdom's devolved governments when she became Scotland's first minister, per ABC.
Nicola Sturgeon said she wants more from life than just politics as she approaches her 53rd birthday this year.
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