2019: INEC lauds involvement of more Adamawa women in politics

The Independent Electoral Commission has expressed happiness over increasing number of women seeking elective offices in Adamawa state in the 2019 poll.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Kassim Gaidam, gave the commendation on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Yola.
Gaidam said it is encouraging to see women constituting five out of the 28 governorship candidates in the state.
He said: “We have two other women who are contesting as deputy governors, while there are others seeking elective offices as senators, House of Representatives members and state House of Assembly members.”
Gaidam expressed hope that the women would wake up and reach out to the electorate particularly the womenfolk who constituted about 44 percent of voters in the state.
The REC also lauded the emergence of clerics as candidates in the state, adding that such development showed how serious Nigerians from all sections were now taking into politics.
He said: “It is a positive development to also have clerics who are preaching good governance and service with fear of God participating as candidates.”
Gaidam, who reiterated the commitment of INEC towards a credible poll, urged politicians to play according to the rules of the game.
He said: “My advice to everybody, particularly politicians is that they should campaign on issues rather than engage in hate speech, they should also be law abiding and cooperate with security agencies for a peaceful campaign.
“Voters should also listen to them keenly so as to know those who are really serious.” On the just concluded voters clean-up excise and display of governorship candidates lists/particulars, he said the exercise which involved identifying dead people, double registration and missing names was successful in the state.
Gaidam said: “On the governorship list, anybody that has problem with any candidate on the list which he felt is not qualified should go to court.”
NAN reports that the five governorship candidates who are women in the 2019 general poll are– Bilkisu Shuaibu, Advanced Congress of Nigeria, Lami Musa, Peoples Party of Nigeria, Na’ama Bulama, Progressive Peoples Alliance, Rukayya Audu, Action Peoples Party and Elizabeth Isa, Change Advocacy Party.
While women running as deputy governorship candidates are –Hadiza Mohammed, Democratic Alternative and Rashida Balarabe, Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy.