Women Pressurize Ruling Party, Presidency Over Top Positions

Muideen Olaniyi

16 May 2011

Some powerful gender sensitive groups met over the weekend in Abuja with a view to ensuring that women are among the five top positions in Nigeria as the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Expanded Caucus meeting zoned key positions to the six geo-political zones.

The spokesperson for the groups Hajia Zainab Yaro-Musa, who spoke with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, expressed their readiness to ensure that the ruling PDP keeps to its promise to accommodate women in at least 35% positions.

Hajia Musa voiced their intention to meet with the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who has been in the vanguard of the struggle for women participation in politics even as she expressed optimism that one of the key principal offices in the National Assembly must come to women at least to justify the first lady’s effort.

She noted that the position of women in Nigeria’s politics is becoming worrisome as the female representation in the national and state assemblies has reduced.

Asked if they have any office in mind, the group which stated that it did not have any, however, insisted that any of the top offices should be given to women, mentioning positions in the leadership of the National Assembly such as the Senate President, deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives where there are qualified and competent women.

“If the PDP could be taking speakership of the House of Representatives to the South West where they have only five legislators because of religion, why can’t they consider and make some adjustments to accommodate the women,” she argued.

Hajia Musa said that the group is making consultations with their women legislators and after seeing the first lady they intend to make open their ambition for certain positions in the legislative and executive arms of the government.

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