Miffed by the apparent marginalisation of the women folk in the distribution of elective posts in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Edo State First Lady, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, led the wife of deputy governor, Mrs Maryann Shaibu, and other women leaders of the PDP to the state secretariat, to protest marginalisation in the party.
Mrs Obaseki, who at an earlier meeting with the leaders of the women wing of the Edo PDP, told the gathering that she had earlier discussed the issue with her husband, Governor Godwin Obaseki, whom she added was sympathetic to the lots of the women as reflected in the number of elective positions allotted to women, especially in the local government chairmanship primaries of the PDP in the state.
Mrs Obaseki told the women, among whom were Mrs. Josephine Anenih, former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Esther Uduehi, Board of Trustees members of the party and others across the 18 local government areas of the state, that the protest was to ensure that women had more roles to play in politics and governance in the state, ahead of the local government elections in the state.
While lamenting the lamented the nonimplementation of the 35 percent Beijing Affirmative Action in the state, she alleged that women were abandoned after contributing to the party’s victories in the last House of Assembly election.
She appealed to the leadership of the party in the state to give more chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship slots to women as well as supervisory councillorship and other positions for women in the forthcoming local government elections.
According to her, “We are here today to advocate and push for more women to benefit from political and elective positions in this government. When we had the governorship election in 2020, the leadership of the party acknowledged the role women played to ensure the governor won his second term, but the women were not compensated.
“We thank the governor, his government and the party for the favourable and progressive policy under the leadership of Governor Obaseki and for making the nomination form for the local government election free for women. This is the right step in the right direction.
“We thank you, your Excellency, for creating the platform for women to contest for chairmanship positions in the last local government primary elections. We appeal to the leadership of the party; we want more chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, councillorship, supervisory councillorship and other positions for women.
“We have two women in the Edo House of Assembly and two women to contest the chairmanship position come September 2nd, 2023. We want more of them in governance because good governance without women will not work as their contributions must not be taken for granted”, she said.
While noting that there were valuable, intelligent, capable, and qualified women who could contribute well to the development of Edo, she opined that “when women are in power, you are sure of progress”.
She also appealed that more women should be given the opportunity to contribute their quota to the growth and development of society.
Mrs Obaseki, who also commended the Edo women for their roles in the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the 2020 governorship election, and the 2023 Edo House Assembly elections, however, charged the party to reward the efforts of the women with more opportunities for elective and appointive positions.
In his response, Tony Aziegbemi, Edo State PDP Chairman, commended the women for their support for the state government and party at the last general elections.
Aziegbeni, who assured the governor’s and other women leaders of the party that their issue had been on the front burner, explained that it was as a result of their interest that the party gave nomination forms to women for free to motivate and encourage more of them into politics.
“We expect more women to be in the chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship levels. We have two women in the chairmanship position in the coming local government election. We have about 30 women candidates in the councillorship election. For the vice-chairmanship, the governor has directed that at least the women have at least 50 percent.
“This government has been women-friendly, and we will do more as we acknowledge the fact that without you, we would not have won our elections and we will do more for the women. What we didn’t do at the chairmanship level, we can compensate at the vice-chairmanship level,” Aziegbeni assured.
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