Politics
2019: Group Mobilises Women
As the 2019 elections gather momentum, a Kaduna-based non governmental organisation, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) says it will mobilise women to actively be involved in the elections.
According to it, if women leverage on their unique advantage in communities, the elections will count for them.
The Founder and Programme Director of the NGO, Safiya Garba, made the disclosure during the NGO’s Annual General Meeting and 10th Anniversary Celebration, in Kaduna ,last Saturday.
“The measure is necessary to ensure that women play critical role in driving democracy.
“It is very disturbing that at the National Assembly, only nine out of the 109 Senators are women and only 27 out of the 360 members are women at the House of Representative.
“The situation is very disturbing at the state level as none of the 36 governors in the country is a woman , in spite of women constituting almost half of the country’s population.
“To change the tide, we intend to apply new approaches, strategies and leverage on unexploited avenues to enable women use their influence on networking, mobilisation and voting power effectively to ensure adequate participation,” she said.
Garba explained that EWEI was founded in 2008 to invest in human capital by providing girls and women the opportunities and resources to improve their welfare, professionalism and well-being.
She said that some of the the objectives of the group was to inspire girls and women to aim for excellence through capacity building and mentoring, as well as encourage girl child education.
“Our programmes are also designed to provide capacity on health, economic and social issues and encourage civic participation of girls and women in political processes.”
She said that over the last 10 years, the NGO, with support from partners, had delivered multi-sectoral interventions for the empowerment of girls and women.
According to her, as at the end of 2017, about 20,361 girls, boys and women benefitted from the NGO’s various empowerment programmes.
The programme director also said that the NGO would soon launch an online platform to empower more women on educational and professional opportunities.
Some of the beneficiaries thanked EWEI for the support, describing it as a “life saver.”
One of them, Jessica David said that EWEI empowered her educationally, socially and financially.
“My life has been transformed positively, I am now self reliant making my own money and supporting myself,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mary Ayandokun said she has been equipped with life long skills that “helped in building my self esteem.”
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.
“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.
The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.
The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.
“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.
Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.
“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.
The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.
“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.