Aisha Binani, Other Women Resist Pressure To Drop Guber Ambitions

A growing number of women are showing interest in running for executive positions, particularly the seats of president and state governor.

Under pressure to embrace the option of consensus, some of the women are resisting the effort to force them out of the race, supposedly for more qualified men.

A number of women are also setting their sights on being running mates in the contests for president and governor in some state

First Lady Aisha Buhari had recently appealed to the top presidential contenders in the two main political parties to pick women as their running mates ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Mrs Buhari has been a consistent advocate for increased women participation in politics and unsuccessfully pushed for constitutional changes that would reserve a third of seats in the National Assembly for women.

Her pleas may, however, have fallen on deaf ears with women seeking far less than what the First Lady had asked for, particularly those in the race to be governor, being squeezed out.

States where women are braving the odds to run for governor include Adamawa (the home state of the First Lady), Ekiti, Rivers, Kaduna and Cross River

Ahead of party primaries, the only female governorship aspirant in Adamawa state on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) and Senator representing Adamawa Central in the National Assembly, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, has debunked rumours that she has stepped down

The lawmaker made the clarification while addressing delegates and stakeholders of the party separately in Ganye, Jada, Toungo and Mayo-Belwa local governments when she visited the areas within the week

“I have not and will not step down for any candidate,” she said, adding that her desire to contest the exalted position in the state is to bring even development across the state as being witnessed in the Central zone.

Binani, while thanking the delegates/stakeholders for the reception accorded her, pledged to continue with the good work of empowering women, men, youths and the vulnerable in society.