Women in the All Progressives Congress in Edo State have urged the party to consider including some of them as as candidates for the 2019 general election.
They made the call while speaking to journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The Organizing Secretary of the party, Dr. Aisosa Amadasun, emphasized that the National Working Committee should give women 30 per cent of positions in government and eschew the present lack of recognition for internal democracy.
Amadasun said: “The crisis which has enmeshed the party following the just concluded primaries to chose candidates for states Houses of Assembly, Federal House of Representatives and Senate could have been avoided if the party truly practices internal democracy, but rather impunity, subversion of the wishes and aspirations of the people have remained the hallmark of APC.”
Amadasun appealed to the national body of the party to consider the women by giving them 30 per cent representation in government as part of fulfilling gender equality.
She added: “Before the emergence of the current National Working Committee, the APC granted waiver to women, as a way of encouraging them to be deeply involved in contesting political positions by granting women nomination forms free of charge, but the present National Working Committee under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole subjected women to harrowing experiences by charging exorbitant fees to collect nomination forms, yet were screened out.”
The President, National Council of Women Society, Comrade Omololu Eiyela, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the situation to restore peace and harmony to the party.
Eiyela said: “I called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the issue and quickly call the national party to order to do the needful for the interest of next year’s election.”