The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Prince Uche Secondus, on Thursday urged women in the country to vie for political offices to better political participation.
Secondus gave the advice in Abuja at an event with the theme ‘Pressing for Progress’, organised by the Office of the Woman Leader of the PDP as part of the activities marking the 2018 International Women’s Day.
He said that women in the country had been quiet for too long, blaming the failure of men on the inactions of women.
According to him, unless women play active role in governance, the country would not make the desired progress.
Secondus stressed that any nation that neglected women was heading for doom, adding that women must not allow themselves to be deceived any further.
“I see a country where women participate in the highest level of politics, since we have failed as men have over the years. One day, we shall have a woman president.
“I apologise to women on behalf of men who had been saddled with state responsibility over the years and failed to deliver on their mandates.
“The struggle for the emancipation of women must continue. We urge women to take advantage of the party’s constitution provision that makes interest form for any elective office free for women.
“Women should be courageous enough to contest for any elective office ranging from counsellorship to presidency.”
The chairman charged women to ensure that only the ‘people’s government’ got into power in the 2019 general election.
He further encouraged women not to intimidated but come out en masse to vote and to stand firm to defend their votes.
Secondus added that the outcome of the 2019 general elections was largely dependent on the role of women.
In her remarks, the PDP Woman Leader, Hajiya Mariya Waziri, said that the day was set aside to address challenges and celebrate achievements of women across the globe.
Waziri said that nearly a quarter of a billion women were unemployed while a huge number had suffered violence in various forms.
“We must step up the campaign towards promoting women and ensure their democratic participation by appointing and electing more women.
“We must continue to sweep away the assumptions and bias of the past and advance across new frontiers.
“In the coming elections, women must participate actively in the democratisation process beginning from the party level and play our part in national development,” she said. (NAN)