By Ene Osang
The Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (WTF) has joined the Women in Politics Forum to call on the All Progressive Congress (APC), to address the injustice and inequity in which the position of Deputy National Organising Secretary on its National Executive Council is currently mired.
A statement by the NWTF Research & Communications Coordinator, Anthony Abu, said the women were unhappy over the deliberate denial of the position of Deputy National Organising Secretary to Hajiya Zuwaira Sani Bakori.
The statement said: “We are alarmed by the allegations that despite the best and commendable efforts of Zuwaira Sani Bakori (Kaduna APC) to run for for the position of Deputy National Organising Secretary at the just concluded APC national convention, her candidature and election were deliberately frustrated by irregularities.
“It is a dangerous precedent that APC is setting where of all the 46 positions on its national executive council only eight are women and all these eight are holding ‘woman leader’ positions.
“It is a shame that one of the few women determined enough to serve and who did not automatically go for a position reserved for women should be treated in this manner.”
It added that Bakori had followed due process in every step of the way from the ward congresses in her state to the purchase of nomination forms and screening, adding that she was competent to represent her party and state.
“We urge the APC, which wants to be known as the party that will bring change to Nigeria to ensure that the process was fair and transparent before swearing in anyone as the Deputy National Organising Secretary.
“It is important that as Nigerians prepare for the 2015 general elections, the rights of women to participate are not deliberately thwarted internally by their own parties. Not only is this bad for the party’s image, such happenings speak to the fears of millions of Nigerians as party members, voters and citizens.”
