Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed his strong desire to witness a higher number of women elected as Senators and Representatives in the National Assembly.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

While acknowledging his aspiration, he also recognized that it remains more feasible to have more women appointed to public offices than securing their positions through elective processes within the current political landscape….CONTINUE READING

The former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs emphasized that the current proportion of women in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly is inadequate and needs to be deliberately enhanced in the future.

Akpabio made these remarks during an International Conference on women in governance organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He elaborated, “Though I am enthusiastic about seeing more women as Senators and Representatives in the national assembly, the complexity of our current political environment makes it easier to appoint women to official positions rather than elect them to offices. This stems from differing dynamics in these two realms.”

The Senate President further underlined the necessity of engaging men to occasionally step aside to enable women to actively participate in the political process.

He stressed that collective efforts are essential to challenge existing gender stereotypes and to promote the concept of gender equality in governance.

Akpabio affirmed that initiatives such as public awareness campaigns and collaborative networks with women’s organizations, civil society groups, and political activists are crucial for supporting and encouraging women to partake in politics.

He concluded that fostering a collaborative environment can lead to a change in the status quo, urging men to sometimes relinquish their positions to allow women to occupy prominent roles in politics.