Media executive and Chief Executive Officer, Women Radio 91.7, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya
has urged state governors to put women forward for ministerial appointments, adding that the responsibility for ministerial appointments lies not only with the President-elect, but also with the governors of respective All Progressives Congress (APC) states, who are putting forward names for nomination.
Speaking with The Guardian over the weekend, she appealed to all APC state governors to nominate at least one woman among the three names they are sending to the incoming administration for ministerial appointments.
She revealed that a female nomination per three nominees by governors, APC chairmen and leadership in non-APC states would translate to approximately 35 per cent in accordance with the affirmative action and bridge the vacuum created in 2023 elective positions.
She added that competent and capable women politicians and female technocrats hail from all states and everyone should play a part in rebuilding the socio-economic fabric of the country. She said while men are great nation builders, they require the support and input of women and only when both lead together can Nigeria progress.
She said different women pressure groups are advocating and working for an increase in female representation in governance at all levels as well as more women appointments with the incoming administration.
She lamented that despite increased lobbying and advocacy for gender balance and female inclusion in politics in the last three years, the just-concluded elections saw the lowest and most demoralising percentage of elected women senators and House of Representatives, with only three and fourteen, respectively. “The ninth National Assembly rejected the passage of the five gender bills, failing Nigerian women. Nigerian women are hopeful that the 10th National Assembly will pass the bills for Nigeria’s development.”
She added that political parties must revisit their manifestos and match their words with actions in terms of female recognition within the party, as marginalization against women in elective positions arises internally. “I hope that our governors will raise the stakes of our polity for the sake of Nigeria and the incoming administration will uphold the demands of women as promised and write its name in the books of Nigerian history in good standing,” she said.
