The Plateau State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Caleb Mutfwang, on Tuesday, announced a female politician, Mrs Josephine Piyok as his running mate for the 2023 elections.
Mutfwang said that arriving at the choice of deputy governorship candidate for the party was tough considering the array of qualified persons to choose from.
This is even as some women groups, including the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), lauded the choice of the PDP gubernatorial candidate.
Meanwhile, he said he made far-reaching consultations with leaders of the party, stakeholders and various caucuses before choosing his running mate to enhance the joint ticket going into the general elections.
He said, “some of you will recall that in the course of my campaigns before the party primaries, I made a commitment to giving a voice to the voiceless.
“I make bold to say that a critical segment of our society that is often neglected in leadership considerations is the womenfolk and yet they form a formidable percentage of our population.
“For me giving them a voice is a compelling necessity.”
The governorship candidate described Piyo who hails from Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state as a grassroots and cosmopolitan politician and loyal party woman.
He said that she would bring along with her a wealth of experience, having served Plateau dutifully and diligently as a nurse, teacher before venturing into politics when she got elected into the Plateau State House of Assembly in 1999.
Mrs Josephine Piyo served as a Special Adviser to the executive governor of Plateau from 2008 to 2011 and was later elected as the Chairperson of Riyom Local Government Area from 2014 to 2015.
In her remarks, Puyo thanked Mutfwang and PDP family for the opportunity to serve.
She pledged total loyalty and commitment to ensuring that the party emerged victorious.
The deputy governorship candidate also called on women to support PDP.