Group Advocates Top PDP Roles For Women

ABUJA March 11, (THEWILL) - Ongoing moves by wife of the president of the country, Mrs. Patience Jonathan to have women occupy top positions in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received a major boost on Sunday as an assemblage of women of the party offered its support for the reservation of the offices of deputy national chairman and national organising secretary for women.

The Women for True Democracy (WTD), a women-wing of the party, said the ceding of those offices to women is important if the party must maintain its relevance in the polity.

President of the group, Dr. Ngozi Onyewuchi made the point at the end of the group's meeting in Abuja. She argued that PDP must make the reservations, as women are crucial to the realisation of the president’s transformation agenda.

“The president needs to be supported in achieving the transformation agenda. He has appointed some women to manage some key sectors of the economy and they are all performing creditably,” she said. “We have a woman, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as the Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy. There are also Mrs. Deziani Maduekwe, Minister of Petroleum; Princess Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation; Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory; Hajiya Zainab Maina, Women Affairs Minister; and Prof. Ruqqayat Ahmed Rufai, Minister of Education.

She maintained that if the president could have certain women as special advisers and special assistants, there is no reason they should not equally be represented in the leadership of the party. She announced that a delegation had been raised to discuss the issue with the Women Affairs Minister and the President.

“It is amazing that since 1999 till date, the party has been dominated by men. Women should also be given opportunities to hold positions,” she lamented. “We are fully in support of the First Lady’s efforts to ensure that women are given opportunity to serve especially as we have also supported the party.”