Politics
Reps Move To Address Dearth Of Women In NASS
The House of Representatives Committee on Women in Parliament has said it would step up interventions to reverse the decline in the number of women participating in governance at the National Assembly.
According to the Committee Chairperson, Hon. Taiwo Oluga (Ayedoade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, Osun state), this is necessary to boost the country’s chances of attaining the 35 percent affirmative action in elective and appointive offices.
Oluga said this on Monday when she spoke at a briefing jointly organised by the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN), and a host of other civil society groups in Abuja.
The theme of the media parley was ‘Women’s Political Participation and Inclusion and 2023 General Elections’.
Oluga identified patriarchy, stigmatisation, illiteracy, odd meeting schedules, financing and lack of economic empowerment, cultural and religious barriers, and political violence as some of the challenges to women’s participation in politics in the country.
However, she said that the lawmakers shall forthwith step up their activities on the need to discourage the factors that discourage women political participation in Nigeria. The lawmaker added that the intervention will be backed by collaborative efforts between the legislators, development partners, civil society groups, religious and traditional institutions to remove the factors behind women’s low participation in governance.
She lamented, “Despite the advocacy and attempt by women groups and parliamentarians to have increased women participation in politics in Nigeria, not much progress seems to have been made.
“Going by the number of women, who are currently nominated by various political parties and are vying for elective offices in the forthcoming 2023 General Election, there are serious issues of concern as it seems that the figure in the current Assembly might worsen if drastic steps are not taken immediately
“Before the last primary elections, Nigeria ranked amongst the lowest number of women participation in governance in Africa, with about 6.2 percent of national Parliamentarians being women.
“For the 2023 Senate elections, out of the 1,101 candidates contesting for 109 seats, only 92 are women. Amongst the nominated candidates across all political parties for the House of Representatives election next year, 288 women are contesting out of 3,122 aspirants, depicting that the number of women participation in politics or contesting elective offices is on a steady decline since 2015.”
She also decried that Kano, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara states do not have a single female candidate nominated for federal elections next year.
According to the House of Representatives Committee Chairperson, “The implication of this is that, even before next year’s elections in the country, it is crystal clear that 13.5 percent States will not have any female member in the National Assembly.
“The above development is a huge setback in attaining 35 percent affirmative action in elective and appointive offices in Nigeria.”
Consequently, she said: “The Committee shall forthwith step up its activities on the need to discourage religious beliefs, cultural practices amongst other things that discourage women political participation in Nigeria.
“Also, efforts shall be directed to accelerate advocacy and funding of women economic and political causes.”
Politics
Why I Won’t Help Tinubu’s Govt Overcome Economic Challenges – Sanusi
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, says he would not help President Bola Tinubu’s administration to correct the administration’s policies affecting the citizens.
Emir Sanusi spoke on Wednesday in Lagos as the chairman of the 21st Anniversary of Fawehinmiism (Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture 2025).
The emir stated that while there were “a few points” he could offer to explain the trajectory the administration had taken and how such decisions were predictable, he chose not to do so because “they don’t behave like friends.”
He said explaining the government’s policies would help the government, but he did not intend to assist them due to the way they had treated him.
“I can give a few points that are contrary, that explain perhaps what we’re going through and how it was totally predictable, most of it, and maybe avoidable. But I am not going to do that.
“I have chosen not to speak about the economy or the reforms or to even explain anything because if I explain, it would help this government, but I don’t want to help this government,” the emir said while addressing some of the points made by speakers about the economy.
He added: “You know they’re my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I don’t behave like a friend. So I watch them being stooges. And they don’t even have people with credibility who can come and explain what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started out helping, but I am not going to help. I am not going to discuss it. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why the policies that are being pursued are being pursued.
“Meanwhile, I’m watching a very nice movie with popcorn in my hands. But I will say one thing: What we are going through today is, at least in part, not totally, but at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.
“People were told decades ago that if you continue along this path, this is where you’re going to end up, and they refused to open their eyes. Now, is everything being done today correct? No.”
Emir Sanusi, who was deposed as the 14th Emir of Kano in 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was reinstated as the 16th Emir of Kano in 2024 by the New Nigeria People’s Party-led Kano State Government.
His emirship has faced ongoing challenges from forces believed to be backed by the federal government, including federal officials’ continued recognition of his predecessor, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.
Last month, the police barricaded his palace, with the state government accusing the federal government of orchestrating the action to stir unrest in the peaceful state.
Politics
Reps Loses Deputy Chief Whip
The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga, is dead.
Also known as Ijaya, Rt Hon. Onanuga, who was the member representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, is said to have died following a brief illness.
This was confirmed in a tweet on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday night.
Rt Hon Onanuga, who was born in Hammersmith, London, to Nigerian parents on December 2, 1965, was a politician and entrepreneur. She held the position of Deputy Chief Whip in the Nigerian House of Representatives since 2023.
She contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. She also served as the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.
Politics
Aiyedatiwa Dissolves Cabinet, Retains Finance Commissioner, Attorney-General
Gov. Aiyedatiwa, however, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution due to the critical nature of their duties.
The two commissioners exempted include the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.
This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Mr Adeniyan said in the statement that “All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.
Gov. Aiyedatiwa thanked the executive council members “for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours”.
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