Assembly Aspirant Tasks Women On Voters’ Registration

Nigerian women have been called upon to drop their political aparthy and participate actively in the forth-coming voters registration exercise in the country.

House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Sotonye Fulton who gave the charge in Port Harcourt observed that women in Nigeria had in the past played the second fiddle in their quest for elective offices.

Mrs. Fulton, a woman leader and publisher Gist Magazine, called on the women to see the voters registration exercise as a veritable platform to correct the mistakes of the past.

According to Rivers State House of Assembly hopeful for Opobo Nkoro constituency seat, the Nigerian women would not go for less than 40 percent elective position in the current democratic dispensation.

She said it was time for women to correct the wrongs of the past by taking advantage of their numerical strength to vote out bad leadership and enhance Nigeria’s Democratic process.

Fulton maintained that part of the approach for women participation is to promote democracy in Nigeria and ensure that only credible candidates get the women’s votes come 2011″.

She also lend support to the actualisation of the 35% affirmative action championed by Nigeria’s first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan and wife of Rivers State Governor Mrs. Judith Amaechi.

She reasoned that the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega should be given a chance in 2011, as he is a man of proven integrity.

The publisher, also the chairman of the state Independent Publishers Association (RIVPA) cautioned against rigging and political thuggery.  According to her, Nigerian electoral process would not accommodate any more this worrisome trend.

Taneh Beemene