Prof Sonaiya decries role of money in politics, urges more women’s participation

By Olayinka Oyegbile, Editor

Prof Remi Sonaiya has said that the participation of more women in politics would ensure the availability of more social services to the general populace.

Speaking at an event organised by the International Visitor Leadership Programme Alumni at the American Corner in Ikeja on Friday, March 3, 2023, the former University don and the Presidential candidate of KOWA Party in the 2015 election, decried the huge amount of money spent on politics and on conducting elections in Nigeria.

According to her, the country continues to give the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) huge sums of money every election year to conduct elections that would in the long run be faulted. She said this cannot continue because the country has not been able to provide needed infrastructures for the general populace yet it spends billions conducting questionable elections.

Prof Sonaiya

Prof Sonaiya said more should be spent on providing roads, health care facilities as well as drugs for the citizenry. The former presidential candidate said the involvement of women in decision-making arms of government would ensure more social needs are focussed on because women invest more in family care and are more caring.

Taking a cue from the performance of Nigerian women who have been tested on the global scale, she said “Nigerian women are global leaders that have been tested worldwide and found worthy.” She wondered why they are not allowed to play such roles at home. She named such as Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the president of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, and a host of others.

She decried the fact that “despite all these wonderful Nigerian women, the country is still embroiled in poor leadership,” and demanded that if the country was run on pure merit, many women of worth are there to showcase their leadership qualities.

Prof Sonaiya observed that “Some men think having women participation in politics would be at their own expense.” This according to her, was demonstrated by the vehement opposition the Women Bill had in the National Assembly.

She enjoined women to also see their participation in politics as a duty to themselves, their families, children, and their future. She faulted the argument of those who display the attitude of saying “I don’t want to waste my vote.” She said women must be smarter than that and ensure they cast their ballot because failure to do that is giving legitimacy to the choice of bad leadership in politics.

Ambassador Tamuno

Also speaking at the event, Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica said women must stand up to be counted in politics. She said women must work together and utilise their huge numbers to influence politics and make their choice since politics is a game of numbers.

Mrs Lewis

Earlier, Jasmine Lewis, the Political Officer of the United States of America Consulate in Lagos, had said women all over the world must assert their place in politics and decision-making as no society is immune from trying to shut them out of politics. She said challenges facing women are many and that Nigerian women must work together for the progress of the country and the womenfolk.