For di Edo Governorship election wey go hold on 19 September, 2020, only two women among di 14 candidates dey contest for di Governorship position and two women dey contest for deputy governor.
Di two female governorship candidates na Mabel Oboh of African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Agol Tracy of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); while di two female deputy governorship candidates na Mogbelehan Pauline of Labour Party (LP) and Omion Omonye of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Dis na improvement from di last governorship election for 2016 wia only one woman, Tracy Agol contest di Governorship position under di Peoples Party of Nigeria PPN.
Tracy Ebun Agol wey dey contest for di Edo Governorship election for di second time tell BBC Pidgin say di participation of women in politics for Edo State still dey very-very low and e get why.
“Fear of victimisation, fear of oppression and family fears naim keep dem away from politics. But di few of us wey don enta di political arena, we dey hold our head high and we refuse to be oppressed, we refuse to be intimidated and we refuse to be harassed.”
Di NNPP candidate say men don dominate di political scene for too long and di women no dey help matters because even wen dem go to canvass for votes from fellow women, dem no dey take am serious.
“Di first tin na for dem to come out to vote. Dem get dia voters card and dat one don give dem power to change di situation and comot Edo State from di cabal wey don oppress dem for so long and put a capable woman wey go change tins.”
Why Edo never get female govnor?
Mabel Oboh wey dey contest for govnor under Africa Democratic Congress ADC add say di reason why Edo never get female govnor dey similar to di reason why Nigeria never get female president: women no dey gree come out to contest.
Mabel Oboh say if women get for mind say as dem dey come contest dem go face challenges but dem still get di determination to go through, dem go succeed.
Oboh also call on political parties to encourage women to step forward to contest and also support dem to win. If di political parties get structures wey go encourage and push womento contest and support dem to win, many of dem wey get di capacity and intelligence go come forward and make impact.
“Di way we dey do politics too gatz change. Politics need plenty money but wetin dem dey use di money do, no be to buy votes? If pipo realise say dat money dem collect dem dey sell dia future and right to good governance, tins go change. So we also need to change our orientation of wetin politics suppose be and support pipo wey get vision and capacity to serve cos politics na call to serve pipo not di oda way round.”
‘Make we change di way we dey do politics for Nigeria’
Goldfish Rahmatulai wey be lawyer and politician add say na big very challenge for women in politics for Edo State as di first time a woman try come out to contest na 2007 but she no win di party nomination, na aspiration e end. Dat same year, three women enter di House of Assembly and one become di Speaker but she only last for three months before dem ask her to step down to become di deputy speaker.
“Women na di ones wey get voice. Na dem be active mobilizers and campaigners but na dia e end. Dem dey always sideline dem for di roundtable wen di main political negotiations dey go on.
Wetin make political meeting dey always hold for night? Once woman comot and stay out late sake of political waka, pipo go begin advice di husband say she dey neglect di home, some go call her names say she dey wayward, dey follow man and sleep wit dem to get political position and wen dem try come out, many times dem dey induce dem to drop dia ambition. But tins don dey change. Women don dey speak out.”
‘Make women support women’
Austin Osakue, di Executive Director for Good Governance and Social Change for Benin City say di fact say only two women dey come out for govnor and two for deputy governor for di election show say women never start to take active politics seriously and di earlier pipo see am as challenge for evribodi, not just for women, na den tins fit begin change.
“Make we no see am as struggle for only women alone. E no dey proper say 50% of di population wey suppose contribute for active politics dey relegated. Women need to come out come contest. Women need to empower demsef and support oda women wey dey also contest”. Osakue tok.
BBC
