Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara State has assured that it remains on track and is set to conduct free and credible elections in the state.
Martins Boris Chiroma, INEC Administrative Secretary, stated this in Ilorin Wednesday, at a Town Hall meeting with Women Groups and Gender Focus Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), organised by International Women Communication Center (IWCC) in collaboration with INEC,
According to him, the Commission understands value of partnership and collaboration with critical stallholders in promoting women’s participation in policies.
The Admin Secretary had while expressing concern over the low level of women participation in politics in the state, stressed the need for women to actively participate in the coming election on Saturday.
Chiroma said: “On the House of Reps list, out of 83 candidates only 10 are female. Also, out of 353 House of Assembly candidates, only 63 are females.
“With this statistics, you will all agree with me that our women folks will have to buckle up.”
He however, called on mothers in the state to help INEC achieve peaceful elections by ensuring that their children are not used to perpetrate violence during election.
Limota Goroso Giwa, the Executive Director of IWCC, in her speech, ‘Women participation and the 2019 General Election: Rationale and Challenges’ identified “fear of the unknown” as the major challenge of women in the state.
Goroso said: “The challenges we have in Kwara State towards this 2019 general election is the fear of unknown.
“The challenges we have today in Kwara State towards this 2019 general elections is the fear of unknown. We are also afraid of thuggery, hooliganism, vote-buying, voter apathy, insecurity of life and property and inability to vote for political candidates of your choice.
“We recognised the fact that violence against women during elections is a threat to the integrity of the electoral process.
“No doubt, it will affect women’s participation as voters and as candidates seeking for elective positions.
“IWCC focused on increasing women’s participation in election and leadership to document narratives of violence against women that exist in an election in their homes, political parties and public spaces to be more visible,” she explained
Goroso, equally assured that IWCC was committed to peaceful elections in the country, just as she urged all not to violate women’s rights.
Another Resource person, Salmat Iyabode Muhammad appealed to women to vote according to their conscious.
Presenting her paper titled, “Issues and priorities for the 2019 General Elections”, Muhammad said women should vote for candidates of their choice without intimidation.
Muhammad, a lawyer and chairperson of Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), counseled women to look at the manifesto of political parties to know the best party to vote for.
She advised women to look at the antecedents of candidates before voting for them.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
