ElectHer, a non-partisan, has lamented that a good number of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is yet to be collected.
Ibijoke Faborode the CEO, ElectHer lamented that if the PVC’s are not collected, there would be a large portion of populations not deciding their fate noting that the lack of choice is very risky.
“We have an election to run. It’s not being unusual, inflation rate on naira to dollar its just a whole a lot not going well, for some of us we don’t really want to japa but the truth is that are we considering our families telling us that are we crazy.
“So we need to think about how we can fix Nigeria, how we can make things right. It’s some of the solutions and perspective as we stretch forward towards the next election, how can we lead people like movement? A city center movement to ensure that people actually take ownership of the process. Now if we fail to choose our leader, a random person chosen essentially will lead,” she said.
At the gala dinner in collaboration with the European Union on the theme ‘We are Nigeria’ Faborode said the group unveiled the implementation for supporting women in politics, “the interesting thing is that ElectHer don’t align with political parties. For us, it is about the women, it’s about ensuring that we create a safe space for women.
“How can we mobilize resources, how can we ensure that people actually understand that without women, there is no Nigeria essentially; and so for us is how we create a platform that can change the narrative that has amplified the voice of the mobile resources for them essentially,” Faborode explained.
She explained that for the 2023 election, these women are just a small fraction of the women that have defined themselves to actually run, adding that running as a woman in Nigeria, comes with challenges which include cultural stereotype, speed, religious stereotype and financial restriction.
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She noted that EndSARS showed when people come together to achieve an aim, no one can stop them.
Her words: “I think that there’s a life in social consciousness, to build a momentum, to push the momentum, to amplifier the momentum and ensure that this is about Nigerians as citizens and that we can really push for what we want so that we can demand better governance, good governance, better lives for children and better health care.”
Akintoye Akindele, the patron of ElectHer, noted that women are inclusive in everything in society.
According to him, “In terms of education, women are getting the right education in terms of exposure and the right exposures in terms of trade and entrepreneurship, there are more women entrepreneurs than men in terms of leadership from the community grassroots on top, women are more in inclusion of managing families, managing communities.”
Akindele also noted that 10,000 years ago, women were running the world, running governments, adding that women led wars 100 years ago.
“Empress of Ethiopia led the war against the Italians, women have been running governments, military, companies and families. Women are able. It is about time we open up the conversation to have the balanced conversation where men and women have a conversation that is robust and inclusive, and ensures that the future that we all create is a future that we all build together,” he added.
Samuela Isopi, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, lauded ElectHer for it’s effort to encourage women to join politics and affirms their support to continually join them in encouraging more women.
Meanwhile, women under ElectHer contesting for different positions for 2023 election are; Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate for Delta State, House of Assembly, Ika North East; Joyce Ehinogie Daniels, PDP chairmanship, Esan Central, Edo state; Zahra’u Basheer, PRP House of Reps candidate, Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam, Kano state;
Munira Suleiman Tanimu, All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for House of Assembly, Lere East, Kaduna state; Abdullahi Gambo, ADC candidate, House of Reps, Kajuru/Chikun, Kaduna, Hawwah; Rukayat Shittu Motunrayo, APC House of Assembly candidate, Owode Onire, Kwara state; and ADC House of Reps candidate for AMAC & Bwari, Abuja North, FCT.
