Don’t sell your votes for Salt and Maggi -INEC warns Women
By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, on Thursday charged women not to sell their votes for food stuffs such as salt, maggi, rice, oil and wrapper. The electoral umpire said women are mostly induced by politicians for petty food stuffs which will not last up to a week. Speaking at a town hall meeting with with women groups, an INEC Gender Desk Officer, Plateau state, Chinyere Okorie, said women have more important roles to play in election rather than being a tool in the hands of politicians. “We want to remind women that being part of the electoral process is their right as equal citizens of Nigeria and not to be used by politicians who only wants to buy their votes, by giving them food items such as salt, maggi, rice, oil, wrapper etc. “Women over the years have been neglected to the background when it comes to politics. They don’t play a leading role, what we normally see are women going to vote for the male folks. “In this election INEC has been engaging women and it’s stakeholders to be part of the electoral process, not just as voters but to be voted for”, Okorie said. Partnering with Women for Positive Peace Building Initiative (WOPPI), the Executive Director, Abdullahi Lantana, said the workshop is apt as Plateau is one of the flash point states that is vulnerable to violence if women are not properly guided, especially during the coming elections. Abdullahi said the aim of the workshop is to boost women participation in the electoral process and not just to be a voting tool in the whims and caprices of politicians. “We want to ensure that women have a voice and a role to play during this election. “We are sensitising them in the area of insecurity, political violence, vote buying, rigging and to also help them articulate their position and make a common demand. “We are also letting them know they can stop their children from being agents of violence during elections. They gave birth to these children they can talk to them not to get involved in anything that will trigger crisis.
