Group Charges Women Candidate On Access To Success-Driven Information

Women political candidates have been charged to have the right information to help them succeed in the forthcoming Election.

Executive Director, Women Advocate, Research and Documentation Centre WARDC, Dr. Abiola Afolabi made the call at a two day Coaching and mentorship for women candidates in Northwest which held Tuesday in Kaduna.

 

The program which mentored over 40 female candidates contesting for political positions under various political parties was being supported by United Nation Women and Canadian Embassy to promote mentoring and coaching of female candidates across Nigeria.

 

According to Afolabi, it became necessary as it was realised that there was need for female candidates to have the right information to help them succeed.

She noted that a lot has changed about election since the passage of electoral law and what the candidates should know on Election Day should be mastered.

She said those who have also served before have been brought to share their experiences with them.

 

“For example, there are over 180 members of the state houses of assemblies in the Northwest. Only one woman is there here in Kaduna and that is a huge gap. The women must be equipped, ready and have understanding of what they want to do,” she stated.

 

In an interview with some of the participants at the training, Halima Zubairu aspirant Kano state house of assembly under People Democratic Party (PDP) Danbata constituency said the program have impacted positively on how women could win their respective elections.

 

The aspirants said the program has impacted on them, especially on how to do things differently.

 

“They are encouraging us in different aspects and putting us on track to be able to win.”

 

“I will put more emphasis on the things I thought were not important initially,they have shown us how little things are important on electoral process,” one of the aspirants said.

 

“We need to educate ourselves on electoral process.A lot of northern women have an oversight on that already. Now so we have a mind set of focusing on agent, welfare of the people and focusing on how to track our election and record.” She stated.

 

“We are also given training on during and post-election strategies as well as knowing the constitutional guidelines relating to our political careers.”

 

On her part, Aisha Abduljabar Aspirant Kaduna state house of assembly Yong progressives party(YPP) to represent Kaduna south also called on women to come out to vote for their fellow women as she stated that women have larger in population during elections.

 

Speaking also, Nafisa Dandare Kebbi state aspirant for the house of assembly to represent gwaza constituency under the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), party said the women now are build up and are gathering the courage to face the election.

 

She encouraged women to support women while calling on women to shun the mentality that women are not ment for politics.

 

“If all women can come out and support other women, our votes will count, because women have the highest vote,” she said.

 

Another candidate, Zainab Sada, contesting for the Katsina Central Senatorial seat under the National Rescue Movement (NRM) said some local governments including Dan Musa, Safari, Jibiya and Safana were out of reach due to banditry.

 

Muhammad who contested for the same position in 2019 said she has a better experience in 2022 than she did in 2019 and she hoped that there will be more women representation in 2023.

 

She noted that the banditry in Katsina state would affect the election in the state because many people have been displaced and disenfranchised.

Lateefah Ibrahim