Dr Applonia Obiageli Ezeadili, Chief Executive Officer of Africa for Millennium Change Initiative, has advocated greater participation of women in Nigeria’s political leadership, saying the country would experience significant positive change when a woman becomes President.
Ezeadili made the assertion in an interview with New Telegraph, where she stressed that women must be given greater opportunities to participate in decision-making institutions across the country.
According to her, women play a critical role in building and sustaining families and therefore possess the capacity to contribute meaningfully to national development.
She said the era when women’s education was regarded as preparation mainly for domestic responsibilities was long gone, noting that women are now better educated, professionally competent and capable of occupying strategic positions in government.
“Women are makers of the home, and they should also be part of the institutions where decisions affecting the home and the nation are made,” she said, arguing that women should not be restricted to supporting roles in politics and governance.
The activist also advocated the appointment of qualified women to sensitive economic positions, including the office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
She maintained that women could bring a different perspective to economic management and contribute to efforts aimed at improving the nation’s economy.
Ezeadili consequently urged Nigerian women to support and vote for credible female candidates whenever women contest elections.
She said women must move beyond merely complaining about political exclusion and begin to use their voting strength to influence the direction of governance.
She also appealed to Nigerian men to become more concerned about the state of the country, saying everyone should be tired of the challenges confronting the nation.
She expressed concern over the various allegations and stories surrounding the mismanagement of public resources, saying Nigerians deserve leaders who will be accountable to the people.
Using the example of a woman managing household resources, Ezeadili said women are often careful with money because they understand that there may not be another opportunity to receive financial support when resources run out.
“If a woman is given two thousand naira to prepare soup, she may still save five hundred naira from it, knowing fully well that her husband may not have money to give her tomorrow,” she explained.
She therefore called for more women to be brought into the “helm of affairs” of the country, insisting that many women are more qualified than some of the people currently occupying leadership positions.
She said competence, integrity and capacity should be the major considerations in selecting leaders, rather than gender or political connections.
On elections, the CEO called for stronger measures to guarantee the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process. She urged electoral observers to be properly equipped and adequately supported so that they would not become dependent on politicians who provide accommodation, transportation or other forms of assistance during elections.
Ezeadili also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its enforcement mechanisms and ensure that electoral offenders are prosecuted.
She noted that although vote buying has been prohibited by law, the practice continues because offenders often escape prosecution.
She urged voters not to allow vote buying to determine their choice of candidates, arguing that citizens could collect money offered by politicians but should still vote according to their conscience.
She cited reports of voters allegedly receiving as much as N70,000 in an election in Osun State, yet going ahead to vote for the candidate of their choice, including the eventual winner, Ademola Adeleke.
The activist maintained that the real power of the electorate lies in the ballot box and urged Nigerians to understand that politicians cannot legitimately buy their permanent support with temporary financial inducements.
Ezeadili also charged Nigerian youths to protect their votes and resist being used as political tools and subsequently abandoned after elections.
She urged young Nigerians to become active participants in the democratic process and demand accountability from those they elect.
She concluded by calling on Nigerians, irrespective of gender or political affiliation, to become tired of the prevailing situation and work collectively for a better country. She stressed that women, youths, men and other stakeholders must play their part in building a Nigeria where leadership is based on competence, accountability, credibility and service to the people.
