Politics
Forum Decries Exclusion Of Women From Politics
The continued exclusion of women from politics and governance at all levels has been condemned by participants during a training on gender based civic and citizenship education organised recently at Ulakwo in Etche Local Government Area.
The training, which was organised for women of Rivers East Senatorial District by Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development, CEHRD, with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands, Abuja was aimed at spurring women to know their rights and responsibilities as active citizens of the society.
According to the forum, women have the potentials to make the society great if they are involved in governance at all levels. Unfortunately, women have abandoned politics and governance for the men, believing it is men’s affair.
The participants agreed that women hardly contribute to discussions on issues of governance or politics. Even when they manage to join politics, they consign themselves to subservient roles rather than aspiring for leadership positions.
“They are comfortable with women leader position where they mobilise women and share clothing materials and other items to them,” they noted.
Lady Doris Onyeneke, a gender activist who facilitated the training, attributed the apathy of women towards politics to age long gender discrimination and stereotyping which ascribed leadership roles to the men while placing the women in the kitchen.
“Over the years, it became accepted, by both men and women that women have no business with leadership,” she said, adding that women are as well endowe with leadership acumen as the male folks.
‘‘They should therefore begin to unlock their potentials by joining politics or by aspiring for leadership positions,” she said and encouraged women to begin to participate in decisions making that affect their lives at all levels of governance.
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On his part, Styvn Obodoekwe, CEHRD Programme Director, while declaring the training open, stated that women’s apathy towards governance was worrisome.
He said when governance issues are raised, women often behaved as if it does not concern them.
He encouraged women to step out and join politics, saying that as citizens, it was their fundamental human right to participate in governance as they also have the right to associate with political associations of their choice.
Women have been silent for too long and that has given way for bad governance, which unfortunately affect women most,” he said.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appointed Nigerian music legend, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, as his Technical Adviser on Entertainment and Community Outreach.
In a viral video on Wednesday, Governor Alia praised TuFace for all the support towards his administration.
The Governor stated that TuFace can do more.
He stated, “On behalf of the Benue State Government and our very good people, we want to give you some more responsibility plus the ones you have been doing because you have the capacity to do some more and help us chart a way forward to improve other people’s lives and to gain more from your wisdom and advice as well.
“So, I’m pleased to announce that we will make you a Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entertainment and Community Outreach.”
Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation with The Tide’s source.
Similarly, the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was announced on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager, following a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.
Senator Manager said all PDP members in the State, including the Governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, and all local government chairmen, had agreed to join the APC.
“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.
The decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and was made in the interest of Delta State’s long-term development.
Governor Oborevwori, who won the 2023 gubernatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was received by senior APC officials in what political analysts are already describing as a strategic realignment with far-reaching implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has condemned the recent wave of killings in Plateau, Borno, Benue, Niger State and most recently, Kwara State, calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent steps to stem the tide.
Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Rt Hon. Ogundoyin, who is the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, said the gruesome killings had led to tragic loss of lives, widespread displacement, and unimaginable trauma for thousands of Nigerians.
“We are alarmed by the escalating insecurity in the land and the seeming helplessness with which these attacks are met. The time for mere condemnation and rhetoric has passed; urgent and coordinated action is now required at all levels of government to end these bloodbaths and restore peace and order.
“While we acknowledge that defence and national security fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, we must stress that every level of government bears responsibility for the security and welfare of the people. State governors, in particular, must rise to the occasion and fully understand that governance is not limited to road construction and ceremonial functions. True governance is rooted in the protection of lives, the preservation of order, and the alleviation of suffering,” he said.
He called on state governments to complement the efforts of the Federal Government by making and enforcing enabling laws for community policing and other grassroots-driven security models.
According to him, States must develop proactive frameworks that integrate local intelligence, social support systems, and youth engagement in the fight against insecurity.
The conference also urged the Federal Government to meaningfully engage the citizenry and introduce bold, practical measures to cushion the hardship caused by its current economic policies.
“Millions of Nigerians are groaning under the weight of inflation, unemployment, and a cost-of-living crisis. It is imperative that relief initiatives—targeted, transparent, and impactful—are rolled out without delay. Dialogue, not distance, must define the relationship between the government and its people at this critical time.
“The Conference of Speakers affirms its commitment to supporting all legislative actions necessary to restore security, promote justice, and foster inclusive governance across the country. The killings in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Kwara, and any part of Nigeria must not be allowed to continue unchecked. Justice must prevail, and peace must be restored.
“Let it be known: the safety, dignity, and well-being of every Nigerian must remain the top priority of all arms and levels of government,” Rt Hon. Ogundoyin said.