Comrade Lekan Badmus is an investigative reporter and a Columnist with ODUDUWA NEWS.
Despite vigorous campaigns and efforts aimed at achieving equal representation of women in governance, women are still treated unequal to men. Age-old traditional beliefs, women’s physical weaknesses and men’s egos have been identified as some of the reasons for this discrimination.
Efforts have been intensified in the past by women and their sympathisers on the need to legalize women participation with a special percentage of representation. This effort is in tandem with the changing socio-politico-economic situation and equations in the world today, taking into account, the historical factors as well as futurological projection.
In Nigeria of today, it is an incontrovertible fact that women form the largest percentage of those who exercise their franchise during elections. This is unlike men who show apathy except on the assurance of inducement or gratification. Unfortunately, fewer women seldom express interest to vie for political office. Where few express interest, they are more often than not discouraged or cheated by men on frivolous excuse.
In a bid away from rhetorics and in the spirit of equity, justice and sense of belonging, the executive governor of Oyo state, Engineer Seyi Makinde had directed that three slots should be automatically reserved for women in each senatorial zone in the state. This gesture was aimed at correcting the age-long imbalance that has permeated politics in Oyo state where men have ever displayed domineering over women, irrespective of their clout, sagacity and intelligence. It is apt to conclude therefore that the wise decision of His Excellency was to erase the impression that women are persona-non-grata. Certainly, women should not be confined to kitchen.
However, as germane as the governor’s directive was, the PDP leadership from Lagelu/Akinyele constituency are determined to scuttle the gesture, confront the governor and sabotage every effort to give what is due to women. This is somewhat a fragrant disrespect, defiance and an affront to the governor who is the leader of the party. The women in other zones who do not have war chests also experience such political abracadabra in the hands of the so-called marauding leaders who are hell-bent at scuttling the decision of Gov. Makinde.
Few days ago, the party’s leadership at Lagelu/Akinyele constituency had purportedly convened a consensus meeting where a document was falsified to the effect that party faithfuls in the area had unanimously agreed to present their anointed son as House of Representatives candidate for the constituency. The document was thereafter transmuted to the governor for approval.
However, the burble burst when a staunch member of the party got wind of the intrigue. He was said to have immediately alerted the governor with the explanation that the purported consensus was a ruse, a fabrication and a concoction. He was able to convince the governor that the signatories on the document presented was a product of the attendance of a statutory weekly meeting of the area. Thus, exposing the sinister motive behind the kangaroo consensus. Evidently, the action of the party leaders was to deny and deprive the only female aspirant in the axis the privileged automatic ticket as the only female contestant for House of Representatives in the constituency.
In view of the leaked fact, the governor, who felt disappointed had issued a stern warning that a primary election should be conducted without disenfranchising the woman.
In all honesty, it is an abberation for the party leaders at the constituency to thinker with the order of the governor. In a sane clan, such executive directive is sacrosanct. The privilege extended to women is a norm.
In all the zones in Oyo State, three females are left in the race to compete among men who are determined to use everything at their disposal to ensure that Gov’s gesture does not see the light of the day and it is high time the Gov came out boldly and march his words with action as posterity to judge if he fails to ensure gender balance in the political equation of Oyo State as envisaged and promised by him.
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