POLITICS
NASS Leadership Pledges Support for Women, Youth Inclusion in Governance
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for increased efforts by all stakeholders to ensure gender equality and youth inclusion in governance.
Gbajabiamilia made the call at a webinar titled: “Strengthening Women’s and Youth Participation’’ organised by the National Assembly in collaboration with the United Nations Human Rights and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Rep.
Zakari Galadima, Chairman House Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs who represented Gbajabiamila said the issue of gender and youth inclusion in governance was of priority to the House of Representatives.“Gender bias and youth inequality in any society leads to major losses in social cohesion, economic efficiency and human development.
“This is because they make a large percentage of national potential within a significant part of the total population, untapped.
“At the House of Representatives, we have taken innovative steps to bridge the gap for women and youth inclusion through programmes, appropriation and use of legal frameworks.
“We as stakeholders must task ourselves more collectively to make a deliberate effort in addressing the gaps that exist in implementing our legal frameworks to ensure we create greater inclusivity,’’ he said.
Galadima said that over the years, the National Assembly had enjoyed the support of the IPU and hoped to concretise the partnership; develop a work plan and set out clear objectives, which could be incorporated in the on-going policy frameworks.
In his remarks, the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, commended the organisers for defending women’s rights and ensuring their representation at the National Assembly.
He said that the participation of women and youths in governance could not be overemphasised saying that they had the right to be heard and to contribute to nation building.
Omo-Agege stressed the need for inclusive governance saying that no nation could maximise its full potentials without involving women and youths.
According to him, this is a necessary step to achieving gender equality through democratic governance as women and youths represent more than half of the population.
He recalled that the parliament passed the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill which was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari to create room for youth participation.
“However, we still need to effectively deal with women participation which presentably is still below 24.7 per cent average in sub-Sahara Africa.
“This is why the 9th National Assembly in Nigeria remains committed to ensuring women involvement in public governance through creative legislative intervention.
“We are considering allocating appointment quotas to women and youths which is fast becoming global best practice in terms of gender and youth participation in the affairs of nations,’’ he said.
Omo-Agege said that the Constitution Review Committee of the Senate which he heads had received suggestions on gender and youth inclusiveness.
He said parliament was considering Constitutional amendments that would give women and youths certain slots into appointive offices like those of ministers, commissioners and heads of agencies.
He said that the lawmakers were also championing the removal of clauses that limited women from achieving their potentials.
Ms Nicole Amelin, Vice-Chair, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) commended Nigeria for setting the pace.
She noted that it is part of the will of President Buhari to make governance inclusive.
Amelin said that the progress so far made in enhancing women and youth inclusiveness was not for Nigeria alone but for the world at large.
The vice-chair said that CEDAW International Community recognised the work of parliament as only the law could change the status of women and eliminate discrimination against them.
Amelin said giving women equal access to legislative responsibilities remained a key vision at CEDAW.
She said that CEDAW placed high importance on women inclusiveness, expressing hope that the world would consider the issues of women participation in politics seriously.
The vice-chair said that equality was not just a fundamental right, but the solution to the many challenges facing the world today like climate change, poverty and post-crisis recovery.
Amelin said opening governance to the young generation was the best thing that could be done to maximum the advantages of ICT.
The Secretary-General of the IPU, Mr Martin Chungong, said in his remarks that Nigeria had contributed actively to the proceedings of the IPU since 1961.
Chungong said he was excited at Nigeria’s participation and commended the government for passing the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Act.
He said stressed the need for more efforts to improve women representation in governance saying that they make up 50 per cent of the population and were fundamental to achieving good governance at all levels.
From Christopher Tom, Uyo
Non-indigence in Akwa Ibom State especially the Igbo’s community has promised to give the highest number of votes across the state to Governor Umo Eno come 2027 governorship elections in the state.
The Igbo community said they will not fail to vote massively for the Governor.
The President of Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Hon.
Keyceey Chidiadi made this known while speaking with media practitioners shortly after the Uyo chapter of Igbo community unity day celebration 2025 in Uyo.He said Igbo’s scattered across the 31 local government Area of the state without any doubt seriously doing their businesses without any crisis, showcasing their love, unity among the indigence of the state while also contributing their quotas to boost the state economy.
According to him, the Igbo’s are about five thousand while some have not been recorded because they have not identified with the community and advise others to join the train before it’s too late for them.
He said their vote come 2027 is massively for Pastor Umo Eno without compromise because of his leadership style and developmental strive, showcasing true democracy carrying every individual along not minding the state or religion the people came from but stand on peace, unity among the people to benefit the dividend of democracy.
He called on Igbo’s resident in the state to make sure they vote here without going to their various states to maintain their voting strength as the highest numbers of people across the non-indigence communities in Akwa Ibom State.
He said they are law abiding citizens and not ready to accommodate or entertain any crisis, violence, because of their peaceful nature created by God, especially respect for the government of the day while corporate to preach peace in the state. He commended the community for embracing peace after 27 years of crisis without a leader among them, but now peace has restored to them across the communities in the state.
From Francis Sadhere, Delta
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Delta State Office, has announced the commencement of the display of the Preliminary Voter Register for claims and objections across the state.
According to a press release by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Etekamba Udo Umoren, the exercise will begin on Monday, 15th December 2025 and end on Sunday, 21st December 2025.
The display will take place at all the 25 Local Government Area offices of INEC in Delta State between 9:00am and 3:00pm daily.
INEC explained that the exercise is in line with the Electoral Guidelines and is aimed at correcting any anomalies that may have occurred during the recent voter registration exercise.
The Commission noted that the process is essential to producing a credible and reliable voter register, which remains a key instrument for conducting free, fair and credible elections.
The Commission urged eligible voters in the state to seize the opportunity to visit INEC offices in their respective local government areas to confirm that their names and personal details are correctly captured in the register. Voters were also encouraged to report cases of omission, errors in spelling, or any other discrepancies.
In addition, members of the public were advised to raise objections to the inclusion of names of deceased persons, underaged individuals, or any other doubtful entries found in the register.
INEC reiterated its commitment to electoral integrity and called on all Deltans to actively participate in the exercise as part of their civic responsibility.
The Commission concluded the notice with a call to action, encouraging eligible citizens to register and participate in the electoral process.
…Says Defectors to Ruling Party Will Regret
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Jackson Lekan Ojo has given further insight into why governor Ademola Adeleke chose the Accord Party instead of the APC when he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
All the governors that dumped the PDP had detected to the ruling APC, including governor Simi Fubara of Rivers State who joined the party last week.
Speaking at the weekend, Dr Jackson Ojo said the people of Osun State prevailed on Governor Adeleke not to join the ruling APC when it became apparent that there was no point in remaining in PDP over the festering crisis in the PDP.
According to him, the people of Osun State already have deep hatred for the APC and joining the party was never an option for the governor.
Dr Ojo maintained that the performance and achievements of Governor Adeleke is his biggest selling point ahead of campaign for his reelection and the people of Osun State will troop into the Accord Party with him.
“Governor Adeleke trusted himself. He trusted his performance and achievements as governor of Osun State that is why he crossed over to a relatively unknown political party, the Accord Party. All of us have been talking to our people in Osun State to give him maximum support. I have featured of recent at least three times in Osun Broadcasting Corporation to talk to our people. I have been discussing about this, I have been contributing.
“I was one of the people that told the governor to go to Accord Party. I told my governor you don’t need to go to APC because the people of Osun State already hated the APC. I told him to go to any other political party, go to APGA, go to Accord Party because of your performance it will make everybody follow you. And he is going to win the election.
He added that the PDP is already a dead party and that is the reason gales of defection have been hitting the party.
He, however, warned that politicians who are defecting to the APC will regret it as they will be denied the automatic ticket that was used as bait to lure them into the party.
“I don’t think there is any miracle that can resurrect PDP today because they are already in the grave and it just to cover the earth on them. I don’t blame anybody crossing from the PDP because the party is already factionalized. But why are they all going to the APC, the APC is over saturated now. There are persons in APC before that have been fighting.
“You know I belonged to this party before and I know their modus operandi. This is a party that will tell you to go and queue and wait for your time because some people are already working before you came. APC is not a party you just cross to and they give you ticket the second day.
“When my brother who is a member of the House of A Representatives decamped from the PDP to the APC I told him it is good to decamp from the PDP but for going to the APC you are going to regret it. They promised them that they are going to give them automatic ticket but at the end of the day he went and picked the membership card but they called them and told them that crossing to the APC does not mean you are going to have automatic ticket. I hope it will not happen to Simi Fubara in Rivers State.”
Speaking on cold war in Rivers state between Governor Fubara and Lawmakers in the State, Dr Ojo declared that the loyalty of the Lawmakers should be to the people of Rivers State and not to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“Former governor Nyesom Wike did not give life to the members of the House of Assembly that are loyal to him. Whatever he must have done for them the governor is there today and he could do better.
“The law is already there in place. Nobody should teach the governor how to settle with these people (Lawmakers). These people are not stones, they are not abstract. They are people you can call on phone, they are people you can meet. You don’t need any other person or intermediary. You have direct access to them and they have direct access to you.
“He should deploy more diplomatic ways and he has to settle with them.
“The members of the House of Assembly don’t need to be loyal to the governor, they just have to do their work according to the dictates of the law. Then the governor too has to do his work according to the dictates of the law. We are greeting or not greeting does not matter.
“What is loyalty? Loyalty of the governor and loyalty of members of the House of Assembly is to Rivers people. Greeting or no greeting, when it is time for the governor to send Bill to them he will send it, they will study it holistically and if it is for the benefit of the people of Rivers State they should approve it.
Reacting to the defection of Governor Fubara, Dr Ojo said: “Fortunately or unfortunately I am not one of his consultants. Possibly he must have consulted with his loyalists. I monitored his statement when he said those of you that suffered with him here and there that now we are going to the APC. He knows the best why he decamped to the APC.
“Decamping to APC does not matter anything to me because a political party is just a vehicle. Every achievement of Fubara in Rivers State today is not because he belonged to the PDP. If all his co-travelers are well contacted and they are well informed that the situation will not boomerang against them, then I say kudos to them, congratulations to them.
“But I hope whatever chased them out of PDP will not chase them out of APC.”
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