Women groups have re-stated their call for justice for the death of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Woman Leader, Mrs Salome Abuh, who was burnt to death in her house during the Nov. 16, Kogi governorship election.
National President, Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), Ebere Ifendu, and CEO, Emerge Women, Mary Ikoku, made the demand while briefing newsmen at the end of a panel session on women in politics during the national women’s dialogue titled “Womanifesto”.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that various groups of women, NGOs, female religious groups and others embarked on a match from the National Centre for Women Development to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs after a three-day conference in Abuja on Friday.
Ifendu at the briefing decried the poor participation of women in politics, which she attributed to violence and intimidation.
She said the situation would discourage more women from participating in politics, thereby stalling their contribution to national development.
“There must be justice for Salome because this is a huge crime against women; we are still struggling to find our feet with all the challenges women face and now this.
“We are afraid and going down on a daily basis but there must be justice to give us reasons to continue.
“We hold Inspector-General of Police accountable, we will follow the prosecution because somebody must pay for that gruesome murder.
“If we fail Salome we fail ourselves, but if there is justice we know that she didn’t die in vain.
“Women should not run away from politics because of this because if we do we are helping them to achieve their aim,” she added.
Ifendu, therefore, stressed the need for a violence-free society which would herald a bright future for women in politics and all sectors.
She also called for an amended Electoral Act adding that political parties should also ensure internal party democracy where people have equal fields to contest for any position.
“In fact what women are demanding now is twinning. That is a situation whereby when we have male president a woman should be vice president and so at all levels of governance,” she said.
Also, the National Coordinator, 100 Women Lobby Group, Mrs Felicia Onibon, blamed the challenges women faced on patriarchy, urging women and all stakeholders to hold the ace and unbundle it so that women could move forward.
A female politician from Cross River state, Ms Eucharia Bisong, expressed sadness over the death of Salome Abuh and other persons during electioneering processes and encouraged women not to give up their struggle.
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Well said ladies. It’s a serious crime and the way it is being handled shows that it will soon be swept under the market. I’m surprised the governor himself isn’t interested in fishing out the perpetrators of this crime because it’s a PDP woman. Very wrong. He’s very wrong and the inspector general of police too. I’m sad our country is not safe for women to take part in politics. It’s sad believe it’s only with more women in politics that our country will regain it’s former status as the giant of Africa. Rest in peace Salome A. Rest in peace Dora A.