Following the clamour for a female presidency in the 2023 general election, Civil Society Group under the aegis of Nigerian Women Coalition for Good Governance has endorsed a renowned philanthropist, Ambassador Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo popularly known as Funmi Ayinke as the president of Nigeria.
Convener of the group, Patricia Etuk made the endorsement in a media briefing on Monday in Abuja.
The group explained that women are highly marginalized compared to their male counterparts as they record low participation in political leadership and decision-making processes which have attracted much attention from stakeholders.
Etuk however stressed that a woman deserves to lead Nigeria come 2023 because they are significant stakeholders in the development of any project in a society.
“Although women and men have different biological and physiological makeup, they may share common features with men regarding educational qualifications, socio-economic status, and occupation, among others. Yet, they are marginalized in virtually all spheres of public life. In many African countries, such as Nigeria, obnoxious social norms, political exclusion, and economic lopsidedness dictate the presence and voice of women in public life.
“We wish to highlight the undeniable fact that in the annals of the country, women have not had the privilege of leading this country despite their numerous contributions to the sustenance of democracy.
“This is not to say women in the country are not qualified to lead the country, but rather the enabling environment has not been created as the history of Nigeria is replete with heroic exploits of women that are pacesetters, energetic, industrious and policy experts in governance and development.
“We must admit that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not bar women from leadership positions, including the Office of the President. The Constitution also provides for equal rights of all citizens regardless of their gender.
“To this end, we believe that the women of Nigeria deserve a shot at the governance of the country at the highest level.
“We must not lose sight of the fact that in Nigeria today, numerous women have distinguished themselves in their various endeavours in the public and private sectors. That women have been classified as amazons for their exploits indicates their resourcefulness, which is a critical attribute needed in addressing the myriads of challenges in the country” the group leader noted.
The group added that cunsultations were made far and wide and concluded that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke, whose penchant for the country’s development, has been noteworthy.
According to them, Funmi’s antecedent speaks volumes of a woman who is industrious, energetic and with the requisite experience and qualifications to turn around the fortunes of the country if allowed to lead this country in 2023.
They said “Our endorsement of Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is hinged on the undeniable fact that she has proven herself the amazon of our time through her numerous exploits in her career and philanthropic activities.
“Her development model has also elicited commendations from near and far in ways too numerous to mention. This much has been attributed to her leadership attributes that indicate a woman of substance whose penchant for thinking outside the box is legendary and what is required in addressing the myriads of challenges confronting the country.
“Therefore, our firm conviction is that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is well-positioned to lead the country to greater heights. We, therefore, call on all well-meaning Nigerians to roll out the drums in support of this amazon of our time in her quest to lead this country come 2023.
“She is young, experienced, and an entrepreneur of repute who built a conglomerate from scratch by dint of hard work and resilience”.
Etuk Patricia was flanked by representatives from other women group who also supports the endorsement of Funmi Ayinke.
