Yormie Sylvester
As Nigerians continue to criticize the conduct and outcome of the just held All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for state/National Assemblies and governorship candidates, a gender equity and human rights advocate, Chief Constance Meju has called out the APC national and Rivers State, for failing to live up to its touted promises on gender inclusion.
Joining the national condemnation of the party across the country, the Executive Director of the Center for Gender Equity and Sustainable Development and publisher of AmazonaAfrica Magazine, said by the outcome of the primaries, APC which should be shining the light for women inclusion has set progress made in the past back by pushing out even those who have beeb identified as capable in the assemblies.
In particular, she decried the disqualification of an earlier screened Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo representing Rivers West Constituency, a tested and trusted hand who has delivered dividends to her people and has helped the Senate in shaping critical issues concerning health, fielding a flimsy excuse of non-contribution to party finance.
She questioned. Ipalibo has served Rivers State in many capacities, including as secretary to the state government and deputy governor.
Chief Meju in her press statement on the primaries, stated: “the clear exclusion of women in the APC line up for the 2026 general elections, smacks of serious disregard for the crucial role they play in keeping Rivers State together as it boiled over political control since last year.
“Rivers women more than any group, exhibited very deep concern over the ugly political cloud that engulfed the state as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja minister, Nyesom Wike battled the governor, Sim Fubara over the soul of the state while citizens suffered. They steadfastly fasted and prayed while some lobbied for peace.
“It is sad that with the primaries, women have become the victims of the crisis as their number on the political decision table via APC has been swept off.
“Rather than increase, only one woman is on the State Assembly list out of 23 while none is on the list for National assembly positions.
“This is tragic for a state where citizen’s lives have been seriously damaged by unregulated oil extraction making poverty and diseases a way of life.”
The co-publisher of National Point Newspaper noted disparity in the manner APC cleared its defecting candidates, giving some the green light and shutting down those deemed not loyal to Wike, who incidentally, is not yet a registered APC member.
“The disqualification of Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo falls short of the party’s ticket promise to defecting senators. From the general posture, APC has shown that it is not a party Nigerian women can trust. It does not care that the majority of Nigerian voters are women.
“Coming at a time the National Assembly was touting support for Special Seats for Women in the National Assembly, the Tinubu government led APC is clearly stating that there is no space for women at the top decision table, nor patience for diverse opinions”
She said Nigerian and Rivers women reject this backward development and calls for justice while urging other parties to do the right thing, especially using the new window the court has just created in the electoral timetable.
“As women, we reject this exclusion and call for a revisit of the APC primaries especially in view of public outcry, the president’s directive and the window created by the court which has stretched primaries’ deadline to September.
“We demand equity, justice and fair play and state that women who have proved their mettle and understand women concerns, must not be shut out. This is also a call to other political parties to open the doors to women inclusion”.
