National Assembly Tickets: Pick Candidates Among Women, Group Appeals to APC Political Leaders in Osun

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

A socio-political group in Osun State, Osun Progressive Women Forum (OPWOF), has appealed to all leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to give female aspirants at least four National Assembly tickets and eight state Assembly tickets to represent the people of their various constituencies.

The group also enjoined women in the state to massively come out and cast their votes for the state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, in the July 16 gubernatorial election for the state to experience unusual development.

This call was made known in a communique read by the Coordinator of the group, Mrs. Joel Omolara, and made available to journalists in Osogbo yesterday.

The group said inasmuch as the extant National Gender Policy (NGP) had recommended 35 percent affirmative action instead and sought a more inclusive representation of women with at least 35 percent of both elective and appointive public service positions respectfully.

With this, Omolara opined that women in Osun State are entitled to one Senate ticket, three House of Representatives tickets, and  eight state House of Assembly tickets.

According to the coordinator, “We are begging all our esteem leaders in Osogbo federal constituency to please give us female candidate to represent us at the National Assembly; we have suffered and still suffering; we want a representative that can deliver dividends of democracy like Hon Taiwo Oluga and few others.

“We don’t want a stingy, heartless and callous member of National Assembly who runs away after election and later come back for second term ticket believing that political leaders and elders have prices, and that money can do everything.

“We don’t believe in a National Assembly member who picked his wife, son, daughter and sisters’ in-law as his legislative aides in Abuja, and left his immediate constituents in penury.”

The group also charged party elders and leaders to allow female candidates for the first time in history to represent the people of Osogbo/Olorunda/Irepodun /Orolu federal constituency in the 10th National Assembly.

Omolara explained that it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that female members of the National Assembly are performing excellently in the provision of effective representation and dividends of democracy in their various constituencies, noting that if female candidate is given the opportunity, the people of Osogbo federal constituency will experience unusual development and no one will have any cause to regret.

The group also charged all responsible women that are qualified to prepare to come out in their large number to show their aspirations and contest for any elective political posts of their choice, adding that female lawmakers are doing well in all parts of the country, “and we have all seen Oluga as a typical example in Osun State.”