2023: APC women demand for more political seats

By Chidinma Chukwu

Ahead of the 2023 general election, the women wing of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has demanded for more political seats and public service appointments.

Speaking at the launch Wednesday at the national secretariat of the party, APC National Women leader, Mrs Stella Okotete, the women maintained that they were no longer contented with the single position of the office of the women leader which is customarily allocated to them, stating that they were already working towards ensuring women occupy minimum 13 positions at each of ward, local government and State levels come the next round of congresses and the 2023 general elections.

The women also launched a platform christened Young Progressives Women Forum, to nurture and prepare young aspiring women in the party for more political and public service appointments to realise their aim.

The forum according to them was established to actualize three key thematic objectives one of which was to nurture young women political aspirations because they needed to be guided and prepared for the challenges ahead.

Okotete added that the second objective was to support young women candidates for political offices while the third was to empower young women in office to be mentors and be mentored by those already ahead of them.

She noted that there was need to groom more young women who would fill the leadership vacuum available by imbibing leadership qualities in them so that they can take over from older ones.

The women leader however advised the young women to make sure the purpose of their playing politics should be to impact the lives of the people and not to make money.

“Politics should be all about touching lives and not to make money. We have very few women sitting on the table. We need to wake ourselves up, particularly, we the young generation. We need to have a platform. We need to have a unity vehicle that will change the narrative for more women representation and visibility in public service and government

“The APC manifesto and constitution encourage women to sit on the table. I’ve had discussions with the men and the question they ask is where are the women?

“Young Progressives women Forum is created to develop the leadership quality that is needed for young women to take their place on the decision table and to develop the political power of young women in Nigeria”.