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From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) has lamented that Nigerians are yet to see the much-anticipated dividends of democracy 23 years into uninterrupted democratic rule.
To the centre, the country is still regarded as one of the countries with highest incident of poverty, high unemployment rate and lagging behind in almost all human capital development indexes.
Executive Director of CCSI, Babafunke Fagbemi who stated this during this year’s commemoration of the Democracy day in Kaduna further lamented poor women and youth representation in the democratic process especially as seen in the recently concluded primary elections of the major political parties in Nigeria.
The Director, who spoke through the organisation’s Team Lead in Kaduna State, Ibrahim Abubakar said, “the recent primary election in preparation for 2023 election has left so much disappointment across the country.
“There were allegations of bribery of delegates for votes, violence and intimidation across most of the political parties in Nigeria, women participation in politics is not proportionate to the over 45% of the country’s population which they represent.
“This has not translated into equal
representation in political leadership positions. Over the years, women and youth have been
excluded from leadership and decision-making processes in leadership.
“Therefore, there is a need for women and youth inclusion and participation. Women and youth inclusion and participation mean equality in the representation of men, women and youth in both numbers and the levels of decision-making.
“For the emerging democracy in Nigeria to be sustainable, all groups within the population
must be actively involved in governance. Their voices need to be heard and their
experiences and expertise utilized for the optimal growth and development of the country”, Fagbemi said.
Earlier, Monitoring and Evaluation, Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women, William Biya told newsmen that “the We-You Pro with its “Hope, Action and Progress for women and youth in politics” campaign seeks to strengthen the relationship between citizens, government and politicians in Nigeria by way of mobilising women and young people to take active role in the democratic processes.
“June 12 is a democracy day and the essence of the campaign is to see an increment in the number of women and youths participating in politics, reduce voter apathy and encourage people to register and come out to vote on election day.
“So, don’t just register, don’t just get your permanent voter’s card, but make sure you come out to vote on election day”, Biya tells women and young Nigerian.
