By Olubunmi Omoogun – The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has called on political parties in Nigeria to yield more positions to the female gender in the quest to gain political positions.
She said this while speaking as a Special Guest at the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja, Thursday 13th June 2024, where she delivered a speech on “The Role of Women in Nation Building” as part of programme lined up to commemorate 25 years of democratic governance in Nigeria.
She believed that the men have dominated and saturated the political space in Nigeria, leaving the women with little or no opportunity to be elected into political offices.
She noted that despite our 25 years unfettered democratic governance, Nigeria still has a very low rating in Africa in terms of women in elective positions.
The former Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs who called for more intentional support by political parties and the parliament for women, encouraged the women to pull their weight and be deliberate. She said that “if you are not on the table, you will be on the menu”.
The former federal lawmaker who represented Ikorodu federal constituency noted that out of over 1,300 elective positions at the state and federal levels, less than five percent are women, even as she explained that rather than having an increase in statistics, decrease in statistics is what we are having over the years.
While urging the parliament to use its legislative instruments to support the gender based Bills in favour of the women, she stressed that Nigeria had more than enough gifted and competent women who are capable of holding any elective political office in Nigeria.
Commending the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the former outstanding Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) broadcaster thanked the Lagos Speaker for a well organized event and expressed her hope that deserving women would be given opportunities to contribute to nation building.
Present at the event hosted by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa were eminent personalities such as wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibironke Sanwo-Olu, former Governors, former Deputy Governors, past and serving House of Assembly members, members of the diplomatic corps, political stakeholders and other women groups in Nigeria.
Kindly follow us on twitter:@AfricanVoice2
