Abuja — The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum, has expressed a desire to see a woman emerge as Nigeria’s President in his lifetime.
Damagum said this during a Public Lecture Organised by the National Woman Leader of the party, Amina Divine Arong, as part of activities to mark the 2024 Edition of the International Women’s Day, in Abuja, on Friday.
The Ag. Chairman who was represented at the event by the party’s National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, said the importance of mothers and the role of women cannot be over emphercized.
He said, “Let me be sincere with you, if it is possible and I pray and I believe and hope that even if not in our own generation, I will like to see that one day a woman will become the president of this country and I say this with utmost sincerity and from the depth of my heart, because I can tell you that the menfolk have failed this generation.
“In those days in the village, when there is an problem in the family we look for our women, our wives they are the people that come to make peace, so the importance of women cannot be over emphercized.
“In politics, that is why the founding fathers of PDP know the role of women and that is why today in Nigeria, no matter how you look at it , PDP is the most democratic party in Nigeria and Africa.
“This is the only party that gives opportunity to women to aspire to any position free of charge without buying any form. We do that because we want to encourage women.
“In the next dispensation of the NWC, I hope we have opportunity to have more women in the NWC, even if it means to give up my own position for a woman to take over I will gladly do that because we want an organisation where women can take advantage of their nature to take the country to another level.
“Today, in Nigeria and world over women has been victims of war, see what is happening in Nigeria. See what happened in Nigeria yesteday, the women are suffering, that is why this international women day we are calling on all the men in Nigeria to support women.”
Earlier, the National Woman Leader in an address of welcome underscored the importance of giving women more leader opportunities for the development of the Nigerian society.
Quoting Michele Bachelet, Arong said, “For me, a better democracy, is a democracy where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect but to be elected.”
“Women’s equal participation and leadership in politics are one of the keys to the achievement of the sustainable development goals by 2030.
“According o the data made available by the United Nations, as at January 10th 2024, there are 26 countries where women serve as Heads of states or government, with only 15 countries out of 195 in the world. having a woman as Head of State and 16 having women as head of government which you will all agree is quite poor.
“Sadly, despite women being powerful agents of change with proven benefits, they have continued to be under-represented in Politics, and other sectors.
“The importance of having women in leadership positions cannot be overemphasized as result has shown clearly that Companies and organizations led by women seem to have fared better than their
counterparts during times of financial crisis.
“Having women as leaders and decision-makers at all levels are critical to advancing gender justice, gender equality and furthers economic, social, and political progress for all.”
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