Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen has said President Muhammadu Buhari is set to give Nigerians a credible election in 2023 adding that anyone that sees something wrong, should speak out.
Tallen stated this at a dialogue to draw up an action plan towards curbing violence against women in the 2023 elections, organised by Women In Politics Forum.
According to Tallen, Buhari wants to give Nigerians a credible election adding that people responsible for election monitoring must ensure they protect the few women contesting for various offices in the election.
“We will not dampen our spirit because we have qualified women in all the political parties. We will keep pushing,” Tallen said of the support they will give women politicians.
“All those who will supervise the election must stand firm and protect the few women contesting because they are vulnerable.
“The few women we have in the national and state assemblies have good records when it comes to performance. Because there is no woman that will see people suffering from water and other needs and won’t do something.
“We owe it a responsibility to ensure that women are protected. Women must be strong and be fully armed. The struggle continues. Those that have registered to monitor the election, you must ensure you protect the women. Because we can’t fold our arms and allow these women to be pushed out. The few that we have in politics must be protected.
“Mr President wants a credible, free and fair election and those of you managing it, ensure if you see something, say something. We must contribute to make this election credible and free and fair and protect the few women candidates that are contesting,” Tallen added.
On her part, the country Director, Actionaid Nigeria, Ene Obi, said there is a kind of deprivation against women.
She said the Minister of Women Affairs knows the issues because she has been on the field adding that they will ensure whoever touches a woman is punished.
“There is a changing trend now because if you touch a woman now, you’ve touched every woman. We have women journalists and women lawyers.
“When your sister is wounded, you are wounded. A woman has no tribe. Our tribe is humanity. If you don’t protect a woman close to you, you too are not protected,” Ene said, adding that women must work to ensure that any act against a woman is against all women and that they can remove their wrappers to protect their fellow women.
“I have hope in this country. This is the greatest country in the world. Women must be protected in this country,” Ene added.
Also speaking, the convener of partners for credible election, Barr Ezenwa Nwagwu, who presented a paper on election security, said if the election fails, the blame should go to the security agencies.
“If the election fails, it is because the law enforcement agencies did not do their job,” Nwagwu said.
The President of the women in politics forum, Barr Ebere Ifendu, said violence against women in politics is highly underreported and seems not to receive as much attention as other areas of Gender Based Violence.
