Ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, on 25th April 2022, the National Women Leader of the leading opposition platform in the country, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Stella Effah-Attoe disclosed in Abuja that about 250 female aspirants for various political positions had purchased the party’s Nomination and Expression of Interest forms.
Mrs. Effah-Attoe stated this at a meeting she had with some of the aspirants at the party’s Wadata Plaza, national headquarters. She however urged the women to aim at winning elections and not stop at merely picking the forms and participating in the exercise.
She added that her office was already working with party leaders and stakeholders to ensure a good number of the female aspirants emerged as the party’s candidates, while advising the aspirants to be well-prepared to face the primary elections so as not to heap blame on the party afterwards.
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She equally frowned, “Some of us don’t even relate with our wards, not to talk about our local government chapters. And when the bell rings to buy the forms, we just run and pick the forms. Politics is not practised that way. You have to prepare yourself, especially for the primary.”
Mrs. Effah-Attoe further disclosed that the meeting was to strategize on how more women would merge as candidates at the primary elections.
“I desire to leave no stone unturned to ensure that our women participate meaningfully and win elections. We have always thought about women coming out to participate.
“We have been doing that over the years. We have been participating but the issue now is coming out to win elections. This kind of meeting is unprecedented.’’ she said.
The National Women Leader said the meeting was also designed to enhance female aspirants’ approaches and tactics as they go to the field.
“You must understand the pros and cons inherent in our political pursuits with a view to proffering solutions to them and you must monitor the achievements of female aspirants and plan for the future.’’ she stressed.
In her remarks, former National Women Leader of the party and also former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, advised the aspirants to do soul-searching on whether they wanted to contest to win or to just participate.
She noted that sometimes, because the form is almost free, women just obtained it to bargain for something or earn the title of aspirant, and not for the purpose of winning elections. Hence, advised the aspirants to work to win, saying, “Do not just rely on 35 percent affirmative action for elective positions.’’
Mrs. Anenih equally charged the aspirants to respect party structures and leaders, including zoning, and to connect with people at the grassroots
“If you are not qualified and nobody knows you in your place, you won’t get the seat you are looking for.
“If we ask some of us now when last they attended ward, local government or state meetings, they would draw a blank and they now want to be House of Representatives members or governors or senators. It’s a tall order.
“This is not to discourage anybody, but to let you know that there is no point wasting your time or that of party leaders. The 35 percent affirmative action we are clamouring for is not magic.
“We must work hard for it. Don’t give PDP a bad name by saying women are marginalized. If you are qualified, you will be given a chance.’’ Mrs. Anenih said.
She also advised the female aspirants not to underestimate the influence of party leaders, that of governors and the media, while advising them to get campaign sponsors and put other factors that could assist them in place.
On her part, another former PDP National Women Leader, Mrs. Inna Ciroma enjoined the women to prove that they could do it.
Mrs. Ciroma, who claimed that her husband never influenced her participation in the election, advised them to be united and dogged to get the party’s tickets.
Nigerian women have really and obviously made politics to be laughable. Each election year in the country, you would observe thousands, if not millions, of them purchasing nomination and expression of interest forms as if they are buying food stuffs in their local markets.
But in the long run, none, or only a few, of them would clinch the tickets of their respective parties. This has become a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s political space, yet the game plan of the said set of individuals apparently remains the same.
Funnily enough, whenever they failed to win primary elections, they would be crying foul, demanding that the party should grant them a certain percentage of its tickets, as if tickets are mere ‘tissue papers’ given to any beggar on the street.
Time has actually come for these women to learn how best to play politics. They have all its takes to win elections, because they can boast of the majority, yet they would always allow the menfolk to deceive them.
They need to come together and form a formidable coalition irrespective of their affiliations. They must speak with one voice, rather than pull her down syndrome, if they truly desire any tangible position in the country.