Politics

Women In Rivers State Need To Do More Politically – Mr Itamunoala

Published

10 years ago

January 11, 2016

Mrs Florence Itamunoala

For the first time in her chequered history, Rivers
State not only has a woman as Deputy Governor but a female Chief Judge of the State as well.
In this interview with Opaka Dokubo, Mrs Florence Itamunoala, chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Nigeria, Rivers State branch, bared her mind on this development and other issues concerning the advancement of women in politics in Rivers State and Nigeria in general Exerpts.

Given the present positions women occupy in Rivers State, would you say women have arrived here?
I wouldn’t say we have arrived by any standard.
We’re very grateful to God and His Excellency because if he hadn’t been on board, we probably wouldn’t have had a Deputy Governor who is a female and a Chief Judge who is a female. I mean those of us who are in Rivers State know that that wouldn’t have been possible at this point in time. So we’re grateful to God and to His Excellency, Chief (Barr) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike but women in Rivers State wouldn’t say that we have arrived.
It’s good that women have started to hold such positions in the state but more than that, we expect more women to come out and go for elective positions, not just the appointive positions.
If you say we have arrived, look at the House of Assembly, how many women even came out to contest and lost?
Not many. So, we’re still very far. Until we have a situation where women are prepared to come out and contest and contend with the men at the same level, we wouldn’t say we have arrived at all.
We are concerned about not just appointment, infact, we want more of elective positions.
What mark have you set for yourselves?
Even if I have to start by talking about the 35% Affirmative Action thing, look at the House of Assembly, what percentage of women do we have there? It’s really bad.
In other areas too, I wouldn’t say we are up to the required standard for now which is the 35%. So there is a lot more to be done by the women in this state. so that we don’t lag behind women in other states.
Are you satisfied with the number of women on the cabinet in Rivers State?
Well, we really hope that when more appointments are made, His Excellency who by God’s grace is favourably disposed to having women on board will help the women to come up to, at least, that 35% mark.
This time around, I think the state is not yet stable with all that the state has gone through. But for the fact that he was able to pick a lady as a Deputy Governor and appoint a Chief Judge, for now, it’s thumbs up for him. I hope that subsequently we will be able to attain that desired goal of 35%.
How do you see this situation beyond Rivers State?
Yes, I know that even our national body made a comment about it (concerning the federal cabinet) that it’s completely unacceptable because it’s too far below the required percentage for women in appointive positions.
The truth is that we can only keep talking, enlightening people. But the way it is, it lies with the person in charge. The much we can do is what we are doing; appealing to them, advocating that more women should be given appointive positions.
What are women doing to take up more elective positions?
A lot of women need capacity building including those of us who are into activism.
I could remember of particular year we were sponsored by an organisation to empower women in politics and that year, by the grace of God, we as an organisation were trained and we were also able to train others.
For example, I remember clearly, the late Mrs Anthonia Membere used to acknowledge the fact that FIDA trained and built her capacity. But unfortunately, such opportunities have not come for a long time now and it costs quite a lot to undertake such ventures.
Apart from her (Anthonia Membere, former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly), there were quite a number of women who thought they didn’t have a chance but were encouraged and had their capacity built by FIDA to come up.
Yes they had a lot of opposition but some progress was achieved even though some of the positions were not very high positions like councillors and the like. But it was a starting point and it was good.
The problem now is to have people who will encourage and empower the association to build the capacity of women. Some of these women actually know that politically they have something to offer but for the fear of stigmatization. Indeed we had to contend with issues of stigmatization of women in politics that year before some of the women were able to come up. So those are some of the challenges we have. But honestly, we feel really disappointed looking at the trend of things now and we realize that there is a need to begin a more intensive drive to empower women to be able to come out for elective positions.
Would FIDA consider sponsoring a woman for an elective position?
Well, that is a very important point to consider but like I said, when you talk about sponsoring a person, it is not enough to identify and pick out a person. You must be ready to back up the person financially and in every way.
And that is where a lot of women have the problem.
But I do know that there are some organizations that are trying to come up now to say that if there’s a viable woman who wants to run for any of such offices, they would be able to, may be, back up the person. We hope that many organizations come up and are actually willing then we will be able to partner with them to sponsor women.
We have to have a willing woman and if we can identify one amongst us who is able, and there are, but the person must be willing, definitely we will be able to bring out the person and sponsor the person. But if not, generally we’re interested in women.
So, wheresoever the woman is coming from, once she is capable and able, we will be willing to sponsor such a person.
Why are female lawyers so few in politics?
I wouldn’t say there’s anything else other than the same problems we have identified that affect women generally all over the world-this issue of the biases against the woman. So whether you’re a lawyer woman or whatever, you’re still a woman.
We hope that, by God’s grace, gradually we will get there.
I think there is a need to begin to encourage our lawyer women to begin to go out there. May be we’ve not been conscious of it. We‘ ve always advocated for others but on our part, may be, we’ve never considered ourselves as politicians or as those that could go into politics.
We have a few out there, like, by the grace of God, some commissioners in the state as presently constituted are FIDANS.
But having said this, may be, we will begin to look in that direction to encourage our members, not just at the state level, but also at the national level.
Like you said, a lot of people have confidence when they see a female lawyer coming out. So, we will begin to think along that line.
From a woman’s point of view, how do you see the political situation in the region especially?
It’s really pathetic that in this century we’re still faced with such crisis just because of election. But I will call on women as mothers to talk to their children, wives to also talk to their husbands. It does no one any good when blood is shed, when in order to get a position you want to maim, kill, destroy.
It shouldn’t be because if it happens to A today, tomorrow it could happen to B on the other side.
I think it is high time that everyone of us began to aspire to have free and fair elections in the real sense of the word. We must let down our pride, ego and everything. Democracy ought to be about the people choosing their leaders.
It’s really high time we got it right, we want the country to move forward.

Politics

Parties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.

Politics

ADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”

Politics

2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.

He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.

Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.

“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.

“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.

“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.

“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.

“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.

Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.

“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.