Leaders of Adamawa Women in Politics, the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) and the Special Reserved Seats for Women in Adamawa State on Thursday protested the exclusion of women from the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidacy list for the state House of Assembly.
The groups said six female aspirants who contested in various constituencies were left out of the APC list. They briefed journalists in Yola to express disappointment and call for corrective action.
Coordinator of Adamawa Women in Politics, Hon. Comfort Ibrahim, described the outcome of the APC primaries as a setback to efforts to increase women’s participation in governance. She noted that the state previously had only one female lawmaker and said the absence of any female candidates undermines inclusive governance, gender equity and democratic fairness.
Ibrahim warned that without women on the ballots, issues affecting women and children may not receive adequate attention in legislative deliberations and policy formulation. She urged Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to intervene and help correct the imbalance, saying it is not too late to demonstrate genuine commitment to gender fairness.
Hon. Arziki Andrawus Sawa, coordinator of Special Reserved Seats for Women, praised Governor Fintiri for appointing women to public positions and appealed to him, as a leading figure in APC, to review the primary outcome and create more opportunities for women in leadership.
Rebecca Kwabe, coordinator of the NCWS Adamawa State chapter, also appealed to the governor and political leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups and citizens to support women’s inclusion and equitable representation in the House of Assembly.
