Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ebonyi State chapter, on Friday called on governorship candidates of various political parties across the country to choose women as their running mates.
At a press conference in Abakaiki the state capital, Chairperson of the Association in the state, Comrade Nkechinyere Oginyi said picking women as running mates by governorship candidates of the parties for the 2023 election will engender equity, justice, and fairness.
She described women as nation builders, adding that empowering women politically will bring cohesion to the country.
Oginyi opined that women who have served the nation in various capacities performed creditably and urged men to give women more opportunities in the political space.
She said “as critical stakeholders, NAWOJ Ebonyi, makes bold to say that Nigeria cannot be advocating for an inclusive society when all genders are not given equal opportunity to access political power to contribute to nation-building.
“The time to show sincerity to an inclusive society has come and we urge all gubernatorial candidates in Ebonyi State, to pick women as their running mates in the 2023 governorship election.
“There is no gain saying the obvious, that women are nation builders and empowering a woman, is empowering a whole nation.
“We have had notable women who were either appointed or elected to head different offices and they all distinguished themselves in their various endeavors.
“NAWOJ Ebonyi, however, commends the governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, for running a government where women are given prominent positions in the state.
“He is the only governor that has the highest number of women in his state executive council.
“The only governor that has a woman as the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON). He has given women a voice in the state, as he has also empowered many.
“However, women deserve more, which is why we are calling on all gubernatorial candidates in various political parties in the state to give women the opportunity to contribute more to the development of Ebonyi State”.
