National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure has stated the party will provide more opportunities for women to contest elections in 2027.
He said this in a statment signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
Abure while speaking in Abuja on Thursday, at the Aju Morgan Elumelu Foundation, noted that leadership is a major challenge bedeviling the country, hence women must collaborate to take over leadership positions in the country.
He said the Labour Party has taken the lead in appointing women into leadership positions, adding that the party has deliberately created opportunities for women to participate, not just in the affairs of the party, but has also given them opportunities to run for offices.
“I want to assure you that by 2027, God sparing our lives under our leadership, we’ll provide more opportunities for women.
“We appreciate the fact that culturally, economically, and financially, there are several inhibitions against women’s participation.
“I want to assure you that the Labour Party is ready and determined to break those challenges that will encourage women to participate,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Aju Morgan Elumelu Foundation, Amb. Aju Elumelu, lamented the low representation of women in leadership positions.
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Elumelu however appealed to President Bola Tinubu and other stakeholders in the polity to ensure 35 percent women’s representation and empowerment in leadership positions.
“The goal here is to have women in leadership, elective, and appointed positions not just in politics but across board.
“We’re not here to get mad or agitate but I’m asking you, President Bola Tinubu to help us. We don’t have gloves to fight. We’re just asking you guys to think about us, everyone needs to be involved because we only have a measly percentage,” Elumelu added.
National Women Leader of the Labour Party, Dudu Manuga, stressed that the space for women in leadership, governance and politics has been shrinking over the years.
She maintained that bills for special seats for women should be passed into law to enable women’s involvement in leadership positions.
“I have never seen this kind of effort coming together to see that we have more women in the legislature. So, I think if we can have that bill passed and we’ll continue with the aggressive advocacy and mobilization, we’ll get it right this time around,” she said.
Manuga however called for the collaboration of women at all levels in government to ensure the passage of the bill.
“What we now need to do is to encourage women in every state to meet their legislators and discuss with them.
“Let us lobby for this thing so that we get everybody to be on the same page and have it passed but for now the political parties have a long way to go,” she added.
