LG Poll: Ekiti leads Nigeria in women representation

Excited First Lady praises Ekiti APC for highest number of female political slots in Nigeria

By Samuel Ogunsona

Ekiti State has fired the United Nations Women Affirmative Action with an unprecedented number of women representation at the forthcoming Local Government Elections

The election is scheduled for December 2.

Seven women are contesting for the post of Local Government Chairpersons while 16 are in the race for the Vice Chairpersons.

Excited wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji expressed delight with the emergence of what looks like the highest ratio of women representation in Nigerian local political history.

The women emerged after the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries ahead of the December 2 local government election in the state.

Dr. Oyebanji said having seven (7) candidates for chairmanship positions, sixteen (16) candidates for vice chairmanship positions and thirty three (33) candidates for councillorship positions from the womenfolk by any party is unprecedented in the history of the state.

The First Lady made the remarks on Tuesday in her office when she hosted the APC female candidates who came to appreciate the support they enjoyed from her and her husband which made their victory in the party’s chairmanship and councillorship primaries possible.

The Governor’s wife said with the tickets won by the APC female candidates in the forthcoming local government election in the state, Ekiti now has the highest number of female representation for political offices in Nigeria with Kwara State coming second.

Dr. Oyebanji paid tribute to her predecessor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, for working hard to ensure that the APC has three (3) female chairmanship candidates and fourteen (14) vice chairmanship candidates who went ahead to win the seats contested for in the last local government poll in the state.

Dr. Oyebanji said she and her husband were determined and were given the grace by God to put more women forward in the APC primaries because of their belief that they are capable of making the difference if they are chosen by the electorate at the council election.

She urged the APC candidates for the local government election not to disappoint the party and the people of the state when elected noting that good performance in office would pave the way for more women to win elected and appointive positions in the future.

The First Lady charged the candidates to come out with credible manifesto and incorporate the empowerment of women, orphans and widows into their programmes which should be implemented if they emerge victorious at the poll.

She said: “Having seven women chairmanship candidates and sixteen vice chairmanship candidates from the APC primaries is unprecedented in the local government election in Ekiti and this has confirmed Ekiti as the state with the highest number of women representation with Kwara following us in second position.

“I told my husband to assist many of our women candidates to emerge from the primaries for the local government election and God has made it possible for us. The standard set by my predecessor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi must not be allowed to drop.

“I want to urge our female candidates for the local government election that you must not disappoint the electorate if you eventually win the election, let their be more development in your areas and try to replicate what we are doing at the state level.”

In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender and Women Empowerment, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye, hailed the First Lady for working tirelessly and seeing to the emergence of the female candidates for the APC at the council level noting that the increase in their number was due to her advocacy and persuasive skills.

Mrs. Olaleye described them as BAO candidates urging them to be loyal to the Oyebanji Administration and the party that produced them as candidates, the APC.

The APC state Women Leader, Mrs. Caroline Egunlusi, described the emergence of more female candidates as a positive development urging them to make impact and be good ambassadors of the party.