The emergence of Kamala Harris as the vice president-elect of the United States of America has spurred Nigerian top female politicians to eye the presidency ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Breaking the century-old jinx, Harris, 56, at the end of this year’s presidential election in the US, emerged as the first woman, as well as black and Asian- American to be elected as vice president of that country.
In Africa, some female politicians had become presidents of their respective countries. First among them was Slyvie Kiningi of Burundi, who served as the acting president of the country when President Melchior Ndadaye was shot, together with six of his officials.
Others were Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi, who served as acting president of South Africa; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia; Rose Francine Rogombe, interim president of Gabon; Agnes Monique Ohsan Bellepeau, acting president of Mauritius; Joyce Hilda Banda, president of Malawi; Catherine Samba, acting president of the Central African Republic; Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, president of Mauritius, and Sahle-Work Zewde, president of Ethiopia.
In Nigeria, few women, including Sarah Jibril, Remi Sonaiya and Oby Ezekwesili had vied for the presidency. However, their efforts were fruitless as they were defeated at the polls.
Daily Trust Saturday learnt that ahead of the 2023 general elections, some top female politicians are eying the presidential seat, which has eluded women in the country despite their numerical strength.
Setting the tone for the female presidential debate, the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has enjoined women in the country to work towards producing President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor come 2023.
Responding to a question on whether she would like a woman to succeed Buhari when she led a delegation of the UN senior officials on a visit to Nigeria, she said, “That is my hope. I always believe you should have such aspiration.
“Women should stand up. They have 50 per cent of the votes; and if they can convince the men to support them, then why not? There is no reason a woman cannot lead Nigeria.’’
Senator Grace Folashade Bent from Adamawa State also told Daily Trust Saturday on phone that Nigeria was ripe for a female president.
“Let us make history in Nigeria. We have women of proven integrity and pedigree who can contest elections and win. It is time for Nigerian female politicians to rise to the occasion and contest the presidency in 2023. Women should galvanise our strength and work together with the youth to ensure that our democracy is repositioned,” she said.
Also speaking, a former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Margaret Icheen, said Nigerian women had been trying to achieve that feat, but male politicians in the country have the impression and notion that only men are fit for the job.
“We have been going on that course in Nigeria, but some people think we are not ripe for that. There is nothing too big for women to do. So men should try to remove that impression that the position of president or vice president is only for the men.
“We are proud of Harris, and happy for America for achieving this feat. We will try as much as possible to achieve this feet in Nigeria as well. There is no miracle in administration,” she said.
In the same vein, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development in Kaduna State, Hafsat Baba, said they would work hard to actualise a female presidency in 2023.
“We are going to demand for the presidency, the vice presidential position, governorship, deputy governorship and all the positions.
“Of course we are going to collectively work to the success of any woman that would come out in those positions,” she said.
Also, a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Rep Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC, Yobe), pleaded for the implementation of the Beijing Convention.
“We are grateful for the achievements we have made as women. The Beijing Convention, in its ratification, states that women should be given 25 per cent of elected and appointment positions. Our hope is for the Nigerian government to give us that 25 per cent in government and elected positions in the National Assembly or outside. Anywhere there are slots for appointments, elections and other things in the country, women should be considered,” she said.
According to her, women are very important and their roles cannot be ignored in the scheme of things in the country.
“At home, they take care of their husbands and the children. They manage and oversee everything in their homes and places of work. Many women have been doing great things.
But Shimite Bello, the executive assistant on export initiatives to the Delta State governor noted that no one would hand women power, neither would the men step aside for women to play the game.
“We need to be part of the game. You don’t come in as a woman but a strong competitor. It means that our days of wrapper and aso-ebi wearing have to be reduced. We need to stop being the ones sharing sugar and salt and dancing. We have to separate the women that would run from the regular dancers. This is because a lot of times you don’t see the men dancing. They dance once in a while, but that is not what they are all about.
Women need to do their homework. Just because Kamala Harris emerged does not mean you are going to automatically emerge as she did. She was the first black female district attorney in California. She has been shattering glass ceilings for a while. She did not just get up as a woman and become qualified. She was also a senator with repute.
I think many parties should consider women for their tickets; we have had too many tickets of men-men,’’ she said.
According to Habiba Balarabe Suleiman, a senior special assistant to the governor of Nasarawa State and focal person, Human Capital Development, female participation in politics in Nigeria is generally low due to the huge difference in acceptance, especially in the North.
She, however, noted that there had been an increase in awareness that all political offices could be occupied by women as proven by Kamala Harris.
“Not too long ago, we had a female Speaker of the House of Representatives. I have seen a burning fire among emerging female politicians that can drive the ambition to the highest office. We demanded for the presidency in 2019; we are going to try harder like Kamala Harris until we get it done,” she said
Furthermore, Princess Miriam Onuoha, who represents Isiala Mbano/Oniumo Okigwe federal constituency, thinks women should be proud of Kamala’s victory, saying it is a call to action for Nigerian women as the 2023 elections approach.
“It is possible, but a lot of work needs to be done because our men see us as home materials and not for leadership. In recent times we have not done badly – from the quest of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Amina Mohammed doing us proud at the UN. We can only get better. I think we have qualified women that can try, but work must begin now if we want to make any impact,” she said.
Another member of the House of Representatives, Lynda Ikpeazu (PDP, Anambra), demanded that women in the country should be given equal opportunity and space.
“We are not saying any special favours should be done for women, but the truth of the matter is that in Nigeria we don’t have equal access to political and other spaces. We want equal access to space to be able to play our roles. That is all we are asking. That is what they got in America.
“Obviously, because of our culture and history, this is a male-dominated society. We need to start looking at competence as opposed to gender. When we do that, more women will participate in our political space,” she said.
On her part, the director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan, said that in the last decade, women participation in politics in Nigeria improved, especially with the 2019 elections. According to her, there were many female contestants though they did not emerge winners.
“With the victory of Kamala Harris, more women are going to contest. We really have to watch out for the demography of young women.
“Similarly, the president of Women in Politics Forum (WiPF), Ebere Ifendu, a lawyer, said there was nothing stopping Nigerian women from replicating the Kamala Harris scenario during the 2023 elections.
“You can be sure that many women would contest for all available positions in the coming elections. We are working towards a situation that male presidential candidates must pick women as their running mates, and this would be pushed across all positions,” Ifendu said.
But Senator Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers) said it would be difficult to have a female president in Nigeria because of election rigging. She added that the do-or-die politics in the country made it difficult for women to win elections. She, therefore, said efforts must be made to end election rigging in Nigeria.
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