A group of women under the banner of Ondo APC Women For Equality has staged a protest against the decision of the All Progressives Congress leadership in Ondo State to exclude women from the chairmanship race in the upcoming local government elections.
The elections are scheduled for January 18, 2025, across all 18 local governments.
Led by their president, Mrs. Ayodele Beatrice, and public relations officer, Mrs. Olubunmi Orisabinone, the women expressed disappointment over the decision to select consensus candidates, none of whom are women.
“This exclusion is a troubling sign for Aiyedatiwa, especially given the overwhelming support we provided during his campaign,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday. “It feels like our contributions have been disregarded.”
The women accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of neglecting women’s rights in political appointments. “Despite enjoying our staunch support during critical times, the governor’s actions demonstrate a lack of commitment to gender parity,” they said.
The protesters criticized the lack of women candidates as a setback for political representation in the state, particularly given the National Gender Policy of 2006, which recommends 35% representation for women in governance.
“Our representation in Aiyedatiwa’s government is a far cry from what’s been achieved in other states of Nigeria. The governor is unfair to Ondo State women,” they lamented.
They further argued that with women making up approximately 59% of Ondo State’s population, their exclusion from the chairmanship race is unjust.
“How can he select chairmanship candidates across 18 local governments without one woman? It’s not as if we didn’t show interest. Our women showed interest, but it was sad we were not considered,” the group noted.
The protesters demanded the inclusion of women in at least five local governments and called on Governor Aiyedatiwa to rectify what they described as marginalization.
“We will not stand for any form of oppression and suppression of our rights and participation in governance under the Aiyedatiwa-APC regime,” the group declared.
