I’m disappointed over Abia’s exclusion of women from governance -SDP guber candidate
By Steve Oko
The Abia State governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Hon. Blessing Nwagba, has has expressed fury and disappointed over the exclusion of women from governance in the state.
Nwagba who addressed a press conference Monday in Umuahia said it was embarrassing that at a time when other states were implementing the 35% affirmative action for women, only one female lawmaker was success at the 2019 polls.
She recalled that women had never been so marginalised or excluded in the political history of the state and called for a quick action to address the anomaly.
Her words : “I am not happy that women have almost been excluded in Abia governance. Where is the 35% affirmative action for women?
“I am totally disappointed that while other countries even some of our neighbouring states observe this affirmation, Abia has no regard for it.”
urged Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, and other successful candidates at the just -concluded elections not to hesitate from adopting good ideas in the manifestoes of their opponents.
Nwagba who made the appeal at a press conference Monday in her Umuahia Campaign headquarters, said winners at the poll should add value to governance and development by incorporating the lofty ideas of their opponents for the good of society.
She adopted the position of her party which alleged massive rigging and falsification of results at the polls.
The two -term lawmaker called for the immediate signing into law, the Amended Electoral Act as a permanent solution to the endemic electoral malpractices in the country.
” I wish to reiterate the need for the incoming National Assembly and the Presidency to see to the assenting of the Electoral Act, and ensure the use of card reader to forestall excessive malpractices as experienced in the concluded elections “, she said.
She also called on political parties to ensure conscious efforts towards women inclusion in governance.
Nwagba expressed fury that only one female lawmaker made it in Abia in the 2019 polls, describing it as a sad development in Abia politics.
She recalled that women had never been so marginalised or excluded in the political history of the state and called for a quick action to address the anomaly.
Her words : “I am not happy that women have almost been excluded in Abia governance. Where is the 35% affirmative action for women?
“I am totally disappointed that while other countries even some of our neighbouring states observe this affirmation, Abia has no regard for it.”
The SDP candidate blamed her abysmal performance at the poll on a number of factors including internal sabotage and lack of support from the national leadership of the party following the presidential candidacy crisis that engulfed it.
” It was froth with betrayal by the LGA party chairmen and some party leaders five days to the election, lack of support from party at the national,etc “, she said.
Nwagba was flanked by the state Chairman of the party, Hon. Chidi Nwosu and other party chieftains at the briefing.
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