By Hassan Zaggi
A former leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, has insisted that for women to make the needed impact in the 2023 general elections, they must speak with one voice.
She stated this while speaking in an evening event on gender balance in Abuja, yesterday.
The former lawmaker however, called on those in charge of election monitoring to give special attention to Oyo North Senatorial District due to its complicated nature.
This, according to her, is to ensure that the rightful winner of the election is not rigged out by powerful forces.
Hon. Mulikat who is current contesting for a senatorial election to represent Oyo North senatorial district on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), called on those involved in election management to ensure that the 2023 election of transparent and credible.
On how the Nigerian women can make the needed impact in the 2023 election, she said: “So if we Nigerian women are really serious, we must speak with one voice. We must support themselves. It is very key.”
On why she left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which she helped to build for many years, Hon. Mulikat said: “SDP is not a new party, its just that it is a party that has not been there since 1993. For me I never believed in jumping ship.
“Since 1998, I have been in PDP, so there must be a genuine reason for me to have moved. And rather than being in a party that I helped to build and when you have a new government that is not ready to carry people along, there is no need staying.
“Its not even about me, it’s about my people. If the people who helped to bring government to power are being carried along, there would have been no reason for me to move. I don’t have to be in power every time. I contested for the House of Representatives in 2015, I didn’t win, I contested Senate in 2019, they still worked against me. The same group of men that we are talking about and I’m still here, so contesting any position is about service.
“Therefore when you deny me the ticket, you are denying the people the opportunity to have the best.
“That is the way I see it. So, going to SDP is an opportunity to once again do what I have done before to be able to represent my people and do the needful for the residents of Oyo North Senatorial District.”
Speaking earlier, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, advocated for the need to have more women in public offices.
Represented by Mrs Julie Odenije, the Minister vowed to support women in the forth-coming elections regardless of their political parties.
“It is not partisan but all the language is women,” she stressed.
The Minister called on women who are contesting for political offices to be firm and that when situation warrants, they should negotiate so that they do not completely lose out.
