ONUOHA AND GENDER INCLUSION IN THE HOUSE

Miriam Onuoha’s bid for the position of deputy speaker places a burden on President Tinubu, argues

Dele Olowu

Electoral victories are sometimes more difficult to manage than outright reversals at the polls. In the February 2023 general elections, the APC was tops at all tiers; among others, it won the Presidency with its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu outdistancing Atiku of the rival PDP with over 1.8milllion votes.

However in the aftermath of this electoral triumph it is the winning party that now appears to be experiencing turbulence over the sharing of spoils. The victory parade, it seems, has been as much a challenge as has been the battle to win the hearts of the electorate. This hopefully can be overcome. The National Assembly has been the haven of much of the clamor for leadership positions. In order to address this turbulence and prevent it from going overboard, the national working committee of the APC held a meeting in May 2023 during which a zoning arrangement was reached on sharing the principal offices for the 10th National Assembly as follows: Speaker, National Assembly zoned to South South (Godswill Akpabio former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs ), Akwa Ibom; it confirmed Senator Barau Jibrin from North West as Deputy Senate President and Ben Kalu from the South East as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives .

Even though this zoning arrangement is reputed to enjoy the anointing of some of the higher orders, it nonetheless provoked a storm of protest within and outside the party. They were shouts of inequity and non-inclusion and many have called for a review. In response, a statement from Barrister Felix Morka said “The NWC has noted with respect the outcome of the meetings held between the President elect and the leadership and has called for further consultation with necessary stakeholders in order to ensure the support of the aspirants to the National Assembly leadership positions. “ The zoning agenda has therefore not been cast in granite and not surprisingly, many aspirants have shown their hands, even if this means swimming against the political tide.

The rallying cry is the need to protect the integrity of the legislature and prevent the National Assembly from being hijacked by stranger forces. Miriam Onuoha, a ranking member of the House of Representatives, represents Okigwe North Federal constituency. She is one of the leading lights of the campaign for increased inclusion and gender equity in the leadership of the House and seeks the position of Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives. She is appalled by the imbalance in the deployment of leadership positions in the country and insists that the legislature must lead by example by internalizing equity and political good sense. She laments the attrition rate of female political incumbents citing the fact that of all the seven female senators in the ninth Senate, none is coming back. Only three female senators will be in 10th Senate. In the 10th House of Representatives there will be only 13 female members. It is a shame on the Nigerian experience that since 1999 only one woman, Virginia Etiaba, has served as Governor. She served in Anambra from November 2006 to February 2007. It was really the result of a constitutional accident occurring only after the impeachment of the substantive governor. The underrepresentation of women in politics has reached life threatening proportions. In the ninth Assembly., women constituted only 12.9% of the total membership of both houses.

The National Human Rights Commission has raised concerns over the disparity of the male-female percentage in all spheres of governance and career. Miriam Onuoha, educated at both the university of Lagos and then Abuja, has long been in the wars for gender equity and the promotion of democracy. A fervent supporter of Asiwaju, she stood side by side with him and joined him in giving voice to the “Emilokan” chorus. When things threatened to turn against the Tinubu search for the Presidential nomination, Hon Miriam Onuoha was in the front ranks of those who insisted that democracy must be given full expression. It is the Tinubu model that Hon Onuoha wants the legislature to adopt in choosing its leadership. Hon Onuoha draws inspiration from the Asiwaju model; a model whose homestead allows both great faiths to exist side by side; a model which allowed his wife Senator Oluremi Tinubu a-free hand to serve as senator and a model which allowed Lagos to accommodate different ethnicities and create a democratic space for the development of a new civic identity. It is this model also that has now inspired Hon Miriam Onuoha to seek the position of Deputy Speaker in the 10th House of Representatives. That the four of the highest offices in the land has no female presence is a huge democracy deficit. However, Onuoha’s ambition to lead the House is not driven by mere sentimentality.

She has produced a coherent body of agenda which she hopes will transform the operations of the legislature if she is elected Deputy Speaker. This includes the digitization of activities of Rules and Business Committee to improve effective record management, periodic strategic executive legislature dialogue and for NASS stakeholders’ engagement to provide access for public participation in the lawmaking process”.

She has also promised to promote legislative action in favour of children, women and vulnerable groups. Hon Miriam Onuoha is a lone female lamb in the contest for leadership in the National Assembly. This singularity of status provokes instant following amongst the female folk both within and outside the House.

It is not surprising that the Campaign for Good Governance, a Kano-based Rights group has thrown its weight behind the lawmaker. But even her colleagues have learnt to trust her, to the extent that in the ninth Assembly, she was entrusted with the special responsibility of chairing the committee on people with disabilities and special needs. Where ever equity or balance is required, her healing hands have been sought after. Thus she worked in Bayelsa to attract international development and was at a point drafted into tourism and culture. Always, she produced a new light and a new understanding.

She is anxious that President Tinubu will enable women enjoy the 35% affirmative action he promised and that the legislature will experience increased women presence at the leadership level and in other tiers. President Tinubu will remember his 80-page manifesto document titled “RENEWED HOPE 2023: ACTION FOR A BETTER NIGERIA”. The document promised to reserve certain senior positions for women. On April 6 2022, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Federal government to enforce the national gender policy by allotting 35% of appointments in the public sector to women. Female legislators also reinforced this call. Buhari took a few steps and assented to some equal opportunity bills. But he fell short. The United Nations recommends a minimum of 30% participation for women in government. Nigeria falls far short on this count. Cheeky reminders of our default are provided by Uganda which became independent in 1962 and Mozambique which became independent only yesterday in 1975. The have both posted 37%. The bid of Hon Miriam Onuoha for the position of Deputy Speaker in the House, places a historic burden on President Tinubu; a burden to continue a mission hinted at by Buhari; a mission imposed on Asiwaju by his own democratic pedigree and ultimately a challenge which the wider democratic universe expects him to discharge honourably. Miriam Onuoha will be part of Tinubu’s heritage of liberal democracy.

 Olowu is a veteran Journalist