Politics
25 Female Guber Candidates Unveil Agenda For 2023 Poll
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, about 25 fe-male governorship candidates contesting on the platform of various political parties in the states, on Monday, unveiled their agenda for the poll.
They spoke at a media engagement organised by Women Radio 91.7FM in Abuja.
The Tide source reports that the programme was supported by the UN Women and Canadian government.
The governorship candidate of Action People’s Party (APP) in Delta, Annabel Cosmos, said since the inception of democracy in 1999, the men had not done enough to give the state a facelift, hence, the need for women to take up the challenge.
“They say what a man can do, a woman can do it better.
“Women should not be left at the kitchen. The kitchen is not our place; we can govern a state if given the opportunity to serve,” she said.
She said if elected the governor, she would look into the educational, agricultural and health sectors, among others, with a view to transforming them.
The governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Benue State, Madam Roseline Chenge, said if elected the governor, her plan was to industrialise the state and tackle the insecurity problem besetting it
“If you are familiar with Benue State, Benue needs industrialisation with local governments in focus.
“Benue needs security and as a mother, I have come out so that as an engineer, I can engage the most modern and sophisticated technology to provide security because my people are dying,” she said.
Chenge said she was ready to also ensure food security for the state by engaging in the modern system of agriculture.
She promised to manage the state’s account in a way that would give dividends of democracy to the people.
“The men have done well but women can do a better job,” she said.
The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Jigawa State, Hajia Binta Umar, said she was vying for the position to enable her to tackle the problems facing the women and youth in the state.
“The women are always at the receiving end anytime there is one challenge or the other, likewise our young people,” she said.
She said her government would ensure that the women and youth are empowered in the state. “We have a lot of resources and we are farmers too.
“We want to use all these resources to make life better than what it is now,” she said.
Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s governorship candidate for Abia State, Dr Ngozika Johnson-Ogbuneke, said though the state is 31 years old, there had been little or nothing to show for it.
“There are no infrastructure in Abia, nothing to give the people good life and when the youth of Nigeria protested back then in 2020, my heart was broken.
“When you look at what they said about the EndSARS, it applies to Abia State too. “I felt it is time to make a difference in my fatherland,” she said. According to her, “I urge the people of the state to vote for me.
“Don’t vote for me because I am a woman, vote for me because I am a capable woman. “I am an orthopaedic surgeon and also a human rights lawyer.
“I am coming to defend the rights of Abia people for quality education, good road; for the children to be well trained, for school teachers to have their salaries paid; pensioners have their gratuities and grants given to them and for Abia State to have an airport,” she said.
Johnson-Ogbuneke, who said she would make Abia to be an enviable state, said her plan was also to revamp agriculture and give a better healthcare system.
The Executive Director, Women Radio, Mrs Toun Sonaiya, said if 25 women can govern 25 states in the country, “peace will come back to Nigeria.”
According to her, if not for this programme, many do not know that we have about 25 candidates contesting for governorship elections.
She urged the media to always report the female candidates positively and give them more visibility.
“Please continue to report them until something happens. “Our women are ready and we should give them the support and encouragement,” Sonaiya urged
According to our source, the governorship candidates of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in Kwara, Doborah Jaiyeola; APM candidate for Lagos State, Funmilayo Kupoluyi, were among others at the event.
Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano, has fixed May 28 for hearing in the substantive application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Dr Ganduje is challenging his suspension from the party by factional ward executives led by one Basiru Nuhu Isa.
He was first suspended by APC Ganduje Ward executives led by one Haladu Gwanjo on April 15. Another faction emerged and also announced suspension of Dr Ganduje on April 20.
The Tide source reports that the secretary of the party in Kano, Zakari Sarina, said the suspension by the faction was another case of impersonation.
Dr Ganduje is seeking a declaration that his suspension from the party without giving him opportunity to defend himself amounts to violation of his fundamental right to fair hearing.
He is also seeking a declaration that his suspension by the faction was unlawful, null and void.
Counsel for the embattled APC chairman, Hadiza Ahmad, applied for service on the respondents by substituted means which the court granted.
Justice Liman adjourned to May 28 for hearing in the matter.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Joe Johnson, and the former organising secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Andoni Local Government Area (ANOLGA), Elder Blessing Tiko have faulted the call for the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The duo who spoke at different fora in Port Harcourt described the call for the impeachment of Governor Fubara by the caretaker committee chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr Tony Okocha, as an invitation to anarchy.
On his part, Mr Johnson said, in an interview with a radio station in Port Harcourt, that members of The Rivers State House of Assembly also lacked the legitimacy to continue to perform legislative duties having defected from their former party.
While quoting a section of the 1999 Constitution, he said the country’s supreme rule book is specific about defection of members of the House of Assembly, adding that the lawmakers by the constitution have no legal power to legislate for the state.
Speaking on the issue of local government election, the Commissioner said that the purported agreement with the president does not urge the Governor to hold local government elections, adding that the agreement only warned against dissolution of local government councils and setting up of caretaker committees.
He said the Governor has not even contemplated dissolving the elected local government council executives and the setting up of caretaker committees.
The Commissioner also argued that there is no way the Governor can represent a budget already passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly.
According to him, the Assembly that passed the budget was legally recognised by law, adding that there was no way a budget that is now an Act of the state Assembly can be represented.
Also speaking, a former organising secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Andoni Local Government Area, Elder Blessing Tiko, said in the eyes of the law, the 27 members of the House of Assembly were no longer relevant, having defected to the APC, adding that whatever they were doing was dead on arrival.
He urged them to allow the Governor to govern his people.
“Any one who throws stone in the market will not know whom the stone will touch, therefore, they should not be throwing stones that will hunt them at last or in the nearest future”, he said.
Elder Tiko challenged Mr Okocha to carry out his threat, if he is capable.
He urged the Governor not to be distracted as God and Rivers people were solidly behind him.
John Bibor
A one time caretaker committee chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Hon. Sokonte Davies, has said that the factional leader of the party in the state and Rivers State representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC), Chief Tony Okocha, is not a card carrying member of the party.
Reacting to Chief Okocha’s directive to the APC members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Hon Davies enjoined Rivers people not to take the statement of Okocha seriously.
He stressed that Okocha, a hireling was only seeking recognition as APC had never mandated any of its members to speak on the current political happenings in the state.
Hon. Davies warned Chief Okocha to desist from issuing political statements against the elected Governor of Rivers State and his government any further or be ready to face consequences.
“I have to challenge Tony Okocha to produce his membership of the APC from when it was formed till now.
“He should also provide his contributions made in the party, and above all, tell Rivers people why there is division in the party.
“The APC platform in Rivers State should not be used by anybody to cause more political upheavals in the state.
“The party does not belong to anybody or group of people, but to men and women of good will, who meant well for the progress of the state and its people”, Hon. Davies said, warning that any further statement by Okocha will be resisted.
“I use the medium to urge Tony Okocha and his paymasters not to use Rivers APC to launch their faceless attacks on the current political dispensation in the state,” he said.
Bethel Toby
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