The Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo has called on political actors to allow women make their contributions in politics by amending what needs to be amended, enforcing the electoral law and allowing the rule of law to prevail.
Prince Adebayo made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, during the Voice of Women (VOW) 2022 Conference and Awards where presidential candidates were invited to speak on their plans and commitment to Nigerian women.
He said in order to address the issue of low participation of women in politics, two things must be removed – violence and cheating.
“Two things have dominated our politics, violence, and obscene use of money. Women don’t do well in those two vices. So if we want to address participation of women in politics, and participation in decision making, we must remove violence from politics and cheating. Women are not good cheats.
“When we seek advice, when we seek trust, we go to the women, but when we seek power, we don’t give power to the women. So I believe that if we amend our ways, and enforce the electoral law and have rule of law, women will naturally dominate”, he said.
The SDP presidential candidate, while outlining his plans concerning women if he is elected into power, noted that there are structural issues that needed to be taken care of.
He said the right, privileges and prospects of women in the society should not depend on which government is in power, nor on which politician signs an undertaking because the Nigerian constitution guarantee rights for women.
He also noted that the objective condition that is created in a country will determine whether women are going to live to their full potential.
“If we approach women as citizens and we do that very well most of ours problems will be solved. If we approach women as humans and we do that very well, most of our problems will be solved”, he said.
He said the society has been structured in a way that men create problems and destruction and the women are left to build; but this should be stopped.
He said, “I was a United Nations and ECOWAS appointed Commissioner in Liberia after the war, and I noticed one thing very clearly, all the people who caused the war, none was a woman. The generals who commanded the war none was a woman, but most victims of the war, were women; and when we came to rebuild that country, most of those who came to contribute to the development and rebuilding of that country were women”.
Adebayo promised to enforce the rule of law so that women will be given a voice in the grand scheme of things, which will in turn ensure progress for the nation.
“I will enforce the law, and I will ensure that rule of law prevails; and when that happens, women will be the beneficiary and the country will progress”.
Prince Adebayo attended the conference in company of his entourage – Sen. Ugochukwu Uba, Hon. Richard Oriri, Pastor Ade Alabi, Chief Godwin Osigbeme and Mr Patrick.
Other presidential candidates present, were, Al-Mustapha of AAC, Kashim Shettima of APC representing Bola Tinubu , Peter Obi of LP, Malik Ado-Ibrahim of YPP, Dumebi Kachikwu of ADC.
A copy of the Womanifesto was handed over to each candidate.