Safiu Kehinde
The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has decried the poor representation of women in Nigeria politics.
Itodo had, in a recent interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed his displeasure with the country’s political arena where women were poorly represented and actively engaged in political administration.
He stressed the need to treat the situation as a matter of national emergency.
“It is a shame and disappointing that the national assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Africa’s most largest democracy, the most populous black nation on earth, have just four female senators in the senate.
“How do you expect such a senate to deliver inclusive legislative governance?
“The entire political landscape is already skewed against women and that’s something we need to address a matter of national emergency,’’ Itodo said.
Meanwhile, he charged Nigerians to change the trend by boycotting political parties who fail to field female candidates.
According to him, parties would be forced to field female candidates the moment voters refrain from voting for them.
“Until Nigerians and voters start punishing political parties who don’t field female candidates with less votes or by not voting for them, you would have this particular trend being maintained and sustained.
“So if voters refrain from voting for parties who don’t have female candidates, parties would be forced to field female candidates in elections,” he said.