In preparation for Saturday’s primaries of the ruling APC, Engr (Dr) Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, a Governorship Aspirant, emphasized Ondo State’s urgent need for female leadership.
Speaking at a Press Conference at the NUJ Press Centre in Akure today, the aspirant highlighted the long-standing marginalization of women and her resolve to contest the gubernatorial election to address this imbalance.
She further voiced criticism against the zoning of the top seat to a specific region, advocating instead for the APC to prioritize meritocracy in selecting the most qualified candidate during the primary.
Engr Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo said, “Findings have shown that when women have the opportunity to serve as political leaders, governments are not only more inclusive but also perform better.
“Women politicians are known to champion policies improving health services and education systems, and they serve as positive role models influencing girls’ career aspirations and educational attainment
“In truth, Ondo State desperately needs more women in government, especially to occupy the number One seat in the state. The Sunshine State and its political institutions cannot grow when half the population is being left behind
“New leadership and the fresh approach to leadership that women would bring the best hope of improving citizens’ quality of life, combatting the entrenched corruption and underdevelopment bedeviling the state.
“For women, democracy is moving backward, the dwindling number of women in politics in Nigeria is alarming. For instance, since Nigeria re-established democracy in 1999, the ninth national assembly in Nigeria showed a decline in female representation in political offices to the point where today it ranks among the bottom 10% of countries in the world.
“Its female representation in parliament is about 6% nationwide. The country has seven female senators, 11 house of representative members, three deputy governors, and seven women appointed as ministers.
“Down to Ondo, since the creation of the Sunshine State in 1976, no woman had had opportunity to govern the state as those who had tried, had their dreams thwarted during party primaries and since then, men have continued to be in the driving seat of governance and occupying the number One position.
“Another issue that had contributed to the myriads of problems of underdevelopment in the state is the zoning arrangement.
“Undoubtedly, the idea of zoning the governorship position among the three senatorial districts; Ondo Central, Ondo North and Ondo South every four years was instituted with the good intention of ensuring that no senatorial zone is permanently excluded from power.
“Zoning, in its real sense, was a concept with a noble intention of fostering equitable, all-inclusive, and balanced development across the Sunshine State.
“But on the contrary, despite the zoning arrangement by political parties in Ondo State since 1999, the state continues to face significant challenges in infrastructural and human capital development.
“As the party APC April 2024 Onde State Governorship primary election approaches, to elect the party flag beater, the major focus should be to present outstanding and visionary individual with a proven track record of excellence and integrity in both public and private sector where I readily come in handy for our great party APC to produce the first female elected governor in Nigeria.
“I have always been of the opinion, that the governorship ticket should not be given as compensation or based on arbitrary zoning arrangements but on an assurance of the capacity of the candidate to provide visionary and inclusive governance that will help in wealth creation, agricultural, rural, and human capital development.
“These sterling and uncommon qualities are embedded in me, the only female aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Managing Director/CEO of Funmi Ayinke Nigeria Limited, a construction outfit, one of the leading Engineering services in Nigeria who had through her success gave birth to FunmiAyinke Humanitarian Foundation, A Foundation that has single handedly raise people from the grassroots, has been given hope to the Nigeria widows and youths empowerment across the entire state and the Country as a whole.
“As an experienced chartered management consultant, A fellow of Nigeria society of Engineers FNSE, A Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Mechanical Engineer FIMechE, A FELLOW of International Management consultant FIMC. A fellow of institute of Strategic and criminology studies, a fellow of Association of Public procurement practitioners in Nigeria, as a Project Management Professionals PMP and COREN licences.
“I have being involved in the National Building, giving hope to the hopeless, my education scholarship scheme have been enjoyed by many Nigerians and most especially in Ondo State,” Engr Funmilayo said.
On the issue of stepping down, She said she was not ready to abandon her ambition for anybody, except it is a collective decision of the party APC for her to step down for a particular candidate.
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