Group urges Osun women to rise against political violence

The Women Advocates’ Research and Documentation and Women Consortium of Nigeria have appealed to Osun State women to rise against political violence ahead of the August 9 governorship election holding in the state.
The Executive Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, stated this in a speech she delivered during a meeting with political parties and their candidates in Osogbo on Friday.
Akiyode-Afolabi expressed concern over violent attacks among supporters of political parties in the state ahead of the poll, saying women use their influence to stem the tide in order to have a successful poll.
She said, “The use of money and violence during election campaigns undermines democratic norms. The effects of vote buying and violence are numerous; it gives room to wrong persons to get into power, produces criminals and unfit persons in public
offices. “The project therefore is to support women’s potentials at ensuring a violence-free election in Osun State.”
She, however, claimed that women were not adequately represented in governance despite the fact that they were more populous than their male counterparts.
Urging the women to troop out to vote next week, Akiyode-Afolabi also urged them to support candidates who would prioritise their welfare.
The Executive Director of WOCON, Mrs. Bisi. Olateru-Olagbegi, at a separate forum also said that women had a role to play in curbing political violence which she said had characterised Nigerian politics.
Speaking at a workshop organised by WOCON for women and governorship candidates, Olateru-Olagbegi said women could be instrumental in finding solution to the menace of political violence in the country.
She said, “We women have a duty to ensure that nobody uses our children as political thugs. Violence has inflicted deep sorrow in the heart of some people because of the greed and wickedness of some politicians.
“But we have a duty to ensure that our children are no longer made available to be used to perpetrate violence by some violent politicians. This is also very important.”