By Lucky Isibor,
The National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, Edo State chapter, on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 warned that they will not participate in the forthcoming 2019 general election.
NCWS members who troupe out in large number said until 35 percent of the United Nations charter concerning women is adhered to by the federal and state governments they will not no longer participate any electoral process with more emphasis on the 2019 election.
Mrs. Omoluru Aigbokhae Eniye, state president of NCWS gave this warning in Benin city when she led other women in a protest march through major streets in the state capital.
“We are taking a stand either to boycott the election or ask the women not to vote because we have the numbers. We have been cheated for a long time and we do not want that to repeat itself this time.
She said, they can no longer tolerate the role of a second fiddle in the nation’s politics rather they should be given the chance to seek for elective positions and be voted for accordingly.
Aigbokhae also accused the men of making the elective positions their birth rights while the women are only good for appointments into political offices so that they could hire and fire them at will.
“We have come to inform the world that the women of Edo state have been seriously marginalized, we formed the majority when it comes to voting but when it comes to elective positions, they keep the women aside, they want to keep engaging us with little appointments so that they can keep us aside or fire us at will.
“We have been watching the political scene in Edo State, they have been doing adoption and endorsement and all the people that they have been adopted and endorsed so far are men.
“We watched President Muhammadu Buhari when he was making his speech in UN Assembly, he drummed support for the inclusion of women in politics in Nigeria but unfortunately, women are neglected in Nigeria political sphere. Edo State House of Assembly has only had one woman in the past 12 years as member of the house which negate the 35 percent, At times, she is even left out for serious decision making, all because the men are the majority and such action becomes binding on everybody”, she concluded.
