National News

INEC, CSO collaborates to increase women, youths participation in politics

Published

3 years ago

February 10, 2022

INEC, CSO collaborate to increase women, youths participation in politics

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is collaborating with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), a civil society organisation (CSO), towards increasing women and youths participation in politics.

Sam Egwu, the INEC Niger Resident Electoral Commissioner, stated this at a roundtable on ‘Strengthening Internal Democracy with Special Focus on Gender and Social Inclusion in Abuja.

Mr Egwu said the aim was to increase the number of women and youths in elective offices in the country. He added that the collaboration would also help increase the participation of People With Disabilities (PWDs) in the political space.

“The continued exclusion of women, youth and PWDs in politics challenges Nigeria’s claim to a democratic status of accommodation of diversity and amounts to a denial of citizenship rights,” explained Mr Egwu. “Nigeria has only paid attention to territorially based diversities which are ethno-regional differences; even then poorly managed. Many explanations like the ideology of patriarchy, culture, the resistance of parties to democratic practices, lack of economic power, low level of mobilisation of women, weak regulation, among others are responsible.”

Mr Egwu said statistics indicated that the 2019 general election witnessed the lowest voter turnout in Nigerian history and a drop in the participation of women, youths, and PWDs in an election.

Mr Egwu stressed that political parties had to be pressured by regulatory bodies, CSOs and citizens to entrench party quotas guaranteed in law to change the outcome.

He charged the National Assembly to enact laws that would help boost the participation of marginalised groups in politics in Nigeria.

PLAC executive director Clement Nwankwo explained that the event was organised with the MacArthur Foundation’s support to help increase the participation of women, youths, and PWDs in politics.

Mr Nwankwo added that political parties were the only platforms for candidates to contest elections in Nigeria, so candidates presented by the parties to contest needed to be inclusive of the population, demography, and diversity.

He said in Nigeria, women occupied only 21 out of 469 seats in the National Assembly, making Nigeria the worst performer in West Africa on the representation of women in parliaments.

Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)’s national chairman Yabagi Sani said the council was aware of the challenges faced by PWDS, women and youths and was working to deepen democracy by increasing their representation.

“We are in the season of political activities towards 2023, which will be a watershed in our journey towards entrenching democracy, so IPAC’s in entrenching inclusiveness is key,” he said.

MacArthur Foundation’s Africa director Kole Shettima said there was the need to analyse Nigeria’s democracy to assess the level of social inclusion.

“This is because unless we really get this right to enable an all-important segment of our society to be part of this process, we will still be excluded in our democracy we will not be able to deliver. The foundation has evolved a concept called gender and social inclusion as a mechanism to bring up the voices of people who have been excluded in our democratic system.”

(NAN)

National News

VP Shettima Attends Wedding Fatiha Of Aisha Shehu Aliyu and Muhammad Jalal Babangida Aliyu

Published

15 hours ago

August 9, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

VP Shettima Attends Wedding Fatiha Of Aisha Shehu Aliyu and Muhammad Jalal Babangida Aliyu

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday attended the wedding fatiha of Aisha, daughter of Shehu Aliyu, an Executive Director with First Bank of Nigeria, and Muhammad Jalal, son of former Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Talban Minna, at the National Mosque, Abuja.

The solemnisation, led by the Chief Imam of the National Mosque, Dr. Muhammad Kabir Adam, alongside other Imams, featured prayers for the couple’s blessings.

Vice President Shettima stood in for the bride, while Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu represented the groom, culminating in the presentation of the dowry and the formal tying of the marital knot.

The event was graced by prominent dignitaries, including former Vice President Namadi Sambo, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi, former Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Turaki, Katsina State Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal Jobe, the Emir of Borgu, Niger State, Muhammad Sani Dantoro among many others.

VP Shettima Attends Wedding Fatiha Of Aisha Shehu Aliyu and Muhammad Jalal Babangida Aliyu

National News

Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

Published

5 days ago

August 5, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

By: Zagazola Makama

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the sudden death of an unidentified man who collapsed and died at Government House Lodge, Minna. Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 2, 2025.

Sources said that the deceased had visited House No. 8, Government House Lodge, in an attempt to see Mr. Sammy, Chairman of Niger Foods. However, upon meeting his host’s absence, the man suddenly took ill.

Medical doctors were reportedly contacted from the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, for urgent attention. Unfortunately, by the time the doctor arrived, the man had already passed away.

Following the report, a team of police operatives from GRA Division visited the scene. The body was photographed and evacuated to the IBB Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

National News

Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

Published

7 days ago

August 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

By Amina Ahmed Dankawuwa

The Senator representing Bauchi South at the national assembly, Senator Shehu Buba Umar has accepted the calls by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial District to contest for Governorship come 2027.

The Director General of the campaign for the actualisation of Sen Buba’s Gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Muhammad Sade (Usman) accepted the calls on behalf of the Senator during a town hall meeting held on Saturday by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial in Azare.

He appealed to members of APC to maintain peace with all other aspirants within the party.

“Let’s respect other aspirants, such that anybody who win the primary election can have will be assisted by others, so we must value and respect each other”, he reasoned.

Muhammad Sade also called on party members to commence looking for delegates for ahead of the party primaries.

“It is now that we have to look for those that have votes. I call on our esteemed supporters to start mobilizing for delegate”, he emphasized.

He also advised social media handlers (citizens journalist) to avoid creating problems for personal gain, adding that social media some times create a lot of problem within and out side the party endorsed Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Shehu Buba Umar for Bauchi Governor come 2027.

Baushe Daily Times reports that members of the APC gathered in thousands during the meeting in Azare during which they unanimously agreed to support Senator Shehu Buba for Governor come 2027.

Earlier in a welcoming address, former majority leader in the Bauchi state house of assembly, Hon Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, the choice to support Sen Shehu buba Umar’s Governorship ambition was due to his concern and care he has for the people of Bauchi state.

“He respects us, he values our people politically and he also call on party members to respect each other because politics shouldn’t be considered as a do or die affair”, he said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Bashir Bukar Rimin Zayam charged the youth to cast their votes for the youth only and avoid voting older politicians who will always be going abroad for medical attention.

He therefore, appealed to members of APC to mobilised people to support Sen Shehu Buba for Governor.

Among those who attended the town hall meeting include state assembly member Azare/Madangala Hon Zakariyya sale maigero, comr sabo Mohammed S A to Sen Shehu Buba on media and communication, Hon kasuwa Shehu Damana, Hon Adamu Fanta Misau, Hon maiwada Misau,Hon Mohammed Hassan, Barr Muktar Umar, Alhaji Nura Adamu among others.

Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027