The Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Lagos East Senatorial District, Mr Taiwo Benedict, on Thursday said the party was presenting 16 candidates for the various seats in the zone in the 2019 general elections.
The Lagos East senatorial zone comprises Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Kosofe and Somolu.
Benedict told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the candidates would vie for the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senatorial seats in the zone.
He said out of the 16 flagbearers of the party in the zone, 14 are women while the remaining two are men.
Benedict said the party was fielding a woman in Princess Abiodun Oyefusi to contest the sole senatorial seat in the zone in the general election..
The chieftain said the emergence of more women as candidates was a demonstration of the party’s belief that women should have equal opportunities as men in politics.
Benedict, however, pointed out that the candidates did not emerge just because of their gender but because they had the capacity to lead and had the support of party members in the zone.
“You see, PDP is a party of equal opportunities.We respect everyone’s rights irrespective of gender, background or what have you. We do not discriminate against anyone.
“For your information, 14 out of the 16 candidates of the party in the zone are women. In fact, our Senatorial candidate is Princess Oyefusi.
“And almost all our House of Representatives and Assembly candidates are women too.
‘It is only in a party that believes in equal opportunities that we can have this,” he said.
Benedict said a good number of women also emerged as the party’s candidates in the two other senatorial zones for the various seats to be contested for in 2019.
The party chieftain expressed confidence that the party would win in the zone as well as in the other zones to dislodge the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Benedict said residents were tired of what he called the poor performance of APC and that they would vote the PDP for “real change” in 2019.(NAN)