LG Election: NGO Mobilises Women for Political Participation in Kaduna
By ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
In preparation for the upcoming Local Government Election in Kaduna State, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), is mobilising Kaduna women to participate in the election.
The NGO, Women in Need Foundation as part of follow up to her previous visits to communities on Monday, organized a training workshop on the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Law to educate women on the need to be part of the process.
Speaking at the workshop, Head of Voters Education, Kaduna Independent Electoral Commission (KADSEICOM), Mr. John Bulus, noted that political platform in the State is open to both men and women.
Bulus, who represented the commission’s chairman, added that what women need is motivation and encouragement to join political party of their choice and ensure they work for the success of their election.
According to him, women remove themselves from politics of collecting food items to participate, rather they should stand on their own and participate for true development.
On the cancelled LG election in the state, he said, the commission is trying to inculcate the issue of electronic voting system into the state electoral law and that as soon as the law is ready, the commission will conduct elections into Local Government.
“We can stay without law, I want to tell you that before this time we have a law that we were operating on, what we simply doing from the law is just to inculcate electronic voting system, that is just amendment we are talking about. Bulus, added.
On her part, Executive Director, Women in Need Foundation, Barrister Mrs. Abiola Kamardeen, said the purpose of the workshop is not just to mobilise women for political participation, but to ensure they have the necessary skills that will ensure that success is achieved in that regard.
“We believe our women have the stamina to win elections, our training workshop we have been holding has really prepared them. We have given them the capacity to first go and build themselves, their inner and outer skills, build the families they individually belong to.
“Talk to their husbands and children, let them familiarise themselves with the ideas that as a woman, I have what it takes. Then go out into the communities, seek the various stakeholders to acknowledge you and the capacity will begin to build up.
“With support from every level the woman becomes stronger and then she has the ability to actually come out to be voted for, so it is not something that will come from the moon, all the facilities are here.
“We are encouraging the women that there is no where it is written, either traditionally or religiously even under our constitution that a woman should not contest, it is an open field. All she need to do is to ensure that she have all it takes and that is why we are here.” Kamardeen, added.
