A chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP),
Dr. (Mrs) Basirat Nahibi, has accused the Minister of
Women Affairs, Hajia Aisha Ismail, of carrying out anti-women
activities by preventing some women from benefitting from
the 30 per cent affirmative action.
While speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Nahibi said the
affirmative action was based on an agreement reached by
Nigerian women and all political parties that certain
positions should be reserved for women to encourage them
to participate more in politics.
She said from all indications, it was clear that the
minister was only interested in women in the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) her new political platform, without bothering
about women in other political parties of the evidence
to buttress this she said.
Nahibi also accused male members of ANPP of frustrating
women seeking for political positions by openly demanding
for sex in exchange for positions, saying such was scaring
the women away from participating in politics.
"From my experience, if you are not a girlfriend
from the same state, be prepared to share the bed with
men, otherwise, you cannot make a headway in the party.
Women in other political parties have also lamented on
the same thing.
"Positions shared in most parties are based on this
ungodly attitudes and not on merit and this is scaring
most of our women from participating in politics",
she said she accused the parties of not providing level
playing field for women to run for elective posts "they
waived registration fees, but did not support women financially
at the polls, knowing fully well that elections and politics
is money. Is that how to encourage participation?"
she asked.
On the spate of political killings in the country, she
called on the Federal Government to exonerate itself by
bringing the culprits to book. She said politicians were
yet to learn from lessons from the past, like in the Second
Republic, when the military took over power because of
political killings in Ondo State.
She urged politicians to concentrate on issues and programmes
at campaign rather instead of indulging in character assassination.
