Women in elective posts outperform their male counterparts – APC Women Leader

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The new Women Leader of All Progressive Congress (APC), Betta Edu, has said that few women in elective positions have outperformed their male counterparts, hence more women should be given opportunity for positions of leadership.

Speaking to journàlists yesterday in Abuja at the APC National secretariat, Edu, who was a Commissioner in Cross River State, said her mission as Women Leader is to mobilize women from grassroots to the topmost political offices.

She also expressed joy that the Court has ruled that women should be given 35% affirmative action, adding that this would be easier to achieve given that APC has set in motion its readiness to achieve this.

“We would mobilize women from the grassroots to the top. We are happy that the court had ruled but our party is beyond what the court ruled. It is one thing to have a judgement, it is another thing to have that party poised to implement. Before we read about the court ruling, our party had already mainstreamed women.

“We had already given out forms for free to women to ensure that affirmative action came to be. Because you can give women the affirmative action of 35% and yet they do not even have the funds to contest in the first place.

“If they are not coming out to contest, then the position must be filled by someone else. And that is why the party has gone beyond 35% affirmative action. We are no longer at that level, we have passed that level. We offer the Nigerian woman something that is greater than 35% affirmative action.”

He said APC is giving women a seat at the table by mainstreaming them, especially on a platform that they can be certain that they will emerge as winners of elections.

“The ball is in our court to go all out and sensitize all women to run, get elected and perform exceptionally well while in office because that will be the ticket for the next woman who is waiting in line to get into elective and appointive positions.

“I’m very proud because women who have been given a chance at whatever level have performed exceptionally well.

“I was at a meeting yesterday when I was told that a female senator from a region has performed so well that the records she created no one has come even close to the record. It gave me the push and vigour to go all out and push for more women in elective and appointive positions.

“And together, let us go and deliver as many women as possible even beyond the 35 % affirmative action”, she said.