A former deputy governor of Lagos State, Sinatu Ojikutu, has blamed money politics for the inability of Nigerian women to match their male counterparts in vying for and occupying elective offices in the country.
Ojikutu also blamed the Federal Government for the low participation of women in the nation’s politics, noting that government’s failure to enforce the policy banning unlimited use of money in campaigns and elections has put the women at a difficult position in seeking higher political offices.
She equally described men’s inability to support the aspirations of women as one of the reasons Nigeria has not elected a female governor since the inception of the current democratic dispensation.
Ojikutu who stated this in a statement she made available to the Next Edition in Lagos, said that Nigerian women have what it takes to be state governors in the country.
READ ALSO: Court Sentences Native Doctor to 97 Years in Prison
The ex-deputy governor of Lagos, however charged Nigerian women to develop the needed political grit like their counterparts in other parts of the world, adding that such is required in seeking higher political offices in the country.
Ojikutu who aspired to govern Lagos State in 2002, said since women assist men in their aspiration, men also should extend the same support to the women.
She said, “Blame the monetized campaign in the system and the failure of the government’s policy banning unlimited use of money in campaigns. Women assist and support the men to get nominated and elected, same way, men need to assist women to get nominated and elected and unless this is done, no woman will emerge even as a governor.
“Politics needs true grit not common in females in this clime; the belief in men’s supremacy is too entrenched. Only a few think that women have what it takes to become state governors. I was a gubernatorial aspirant in 2002.”
The Next Edition observes that the just-concluded general elections produced five women senators-elect and 13 Reps-elect while in the outgoing national assembly, women have eight senators and 15 reps members.
