Concerned by the forthcoming Ondo state governorship election, a group of women have asked the major political parties participating in the exercise to consider fielding females as running mates. 

The demand was part of the agitation of the women at the inaugural meeting of the group held in Akure, the capital city, on Thursday. 

The Akure convergence of the women is coming after the primaries of the two major political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. 

At the meeting tagged: “Agitation For Gender Balance And Inclusiveness”, they acknowledged that women have been nominated and elected as deputy governors in some states and queried why Ondo gives no such opportunity. 

In a communique read after the meeting by the group’s convener, Adebimpe Adebiyi, the women said their demand for a deputy governorship candidate will continue to persist until it is met. 

“The justifiable agitation and legitimate demand, particularly regarding the nomination of women as deputy governorship candidates from all participating political parties, will persist until it is met and complied with by all political parties in the state. 

“Using the unique Yoruba word ‘Odatiwa’ for inclusiveness while simultaneously confining women to the ‘other room’ is contradictory and unacceptable,” an excerpt of the communique read. 

It read further, “Despite the immeasurable contributions of women to the restoration of democracy and national growth and development, Nigerian women have been relegated and reduced to the back seats in both elective and appointed positions.

“Since 1999, when Nigeria transitioned from military rule to democratic governance, women have yet to occupy up to 15 percent of elective positions in a country where the voting population of women is equal to, if not more than, men.

“Not only has no woman been elected president, none has been elected vice president or governor in Nigeria in the 33 years of democratic rule. 

“The only woman who became governor of Anambra state, after the then governor Peter Obi was impeached, was Etiaba. However, her tenure lasted for only three months before she returned to being the deputy governor because the former governor, Obi, was reinstated.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed the state governorship election for November 16.