2023 POLL: It’s Time for Female Presidency in Nigeria as in Africa – Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies

Actually, I am a linguist, educationist, poet, communication expert, activist and politician. I have served as a university lecturer and administrator for the past 36 years. Yes, an Academic advisor. I was Director, Centre for Vocational Skills, Entrepreneurial and General Studies, Rivers State University of Education, Port Harcourt, 2012-2015; Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Regent University of Science and Technology, Accra Ghana, 2005-2007: Visiting Professor, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; External Examiner, Doctoral dissertations, School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Deputy Provost, Life Gate College of Education, Ilorin Kwara State 2017-2019; Adjunct Vice-Chancellor Triune Biblical University Global Extension (TBU-GE) New -York, USA; Facilitator, programs in Language and General Studies, National Open University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Country President and Int’l Director UN-POLAC Peace Advocates currently.

A journalist described me this way politically, and I’d liked it: “Amb. Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies is an household name in the annals of Nigeria politics whose exploits in the game of politics actively dominated by men could not be swept underneath. Having paid her dues in humanity services and to the nation as a whole, she has decided to venture into race for the topmost position in the Nigeria political realm being dominated mainly by men. She is a frontline female Presidential aspirant on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election in the country.”

I’ll take time to answer just this one question I am always asked by most correspondents: Do you think It’s time for Female Presidency in Nigeria?

Certainly yes, amongst others, take for instance, the success of women in top leadership positions, the likes of late Dora Nkem Akunyili OFR (14 July, 1954 – 2014) who was the director-general of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control; the former co-ordinator of Nigeria’s economy and now the current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and even I myself, a lecturer of 35 years in the university. We’ve long been ripe enough and due to assume the topmost positions in Nigeria politics and we are more than capable and ready, and as such, it’s possible if we could get the cooperation of the political parties, the electioneering process and the electorates.

As Bishop David Oyedepo has rightly said, “God can give Nigeria a female President”. Certainly, I believe in his assertion, with God, all things are possible, as far as it’s His will, I sure do, by the special grace of God, He can give Nigeria a female President in 2023, as several individuals and groups are similarly proposing it.

We all know that the contribution of women to what Nigeria and Africa are today is unquestionable. Female presidency is possible in Nigeria in 2023; when we recall the Female African Presidents for instance, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia (January 2006 – January 2018) : Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was Africa’s first elected President who served two consecutive terms after winning the 2005 and 2011 Presidential elections. She had initially run for Presidential office in 1997 against Charles Taylor, but she lost. During her tenure she was also elected Chair of the Economic Community of West African States in June of 2016.

Furthermore, what about, Slyvie Kiningi, Acting President of Burundi (February – October 1993): She became the first female President in Africa who was the Prime Minister of Burundi from February 10, 1993 to October 7, 1994. The list include:
Ivy Matsepe – Cassaburi, Acting President of South Africa (September 2005); Rose Francine Rogombe, Interim President of Gabon (June 2009 – October 2009); Agnes Monique Ohsan Bellepeau, Acting President of Mauritius (March – July 2012 and May – June 2015); Joyce Hilda Banda, President of Malawi (April 2012 – May 2014); Catherine Samba, Acting President of Central African Republic (January 2014 – March 2016).
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (June 2015 – March 2018); and Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia (October 2018 – Present).

I will encourage all to read in details in this article: This list of Female Africa Presidents was updated on July 14, 2021 by Jared Watkins with a view to elucidate how many female Presidents Africa has had so far? This is one of many unknown great stories of African women. In fact, the narrative we hear often is negative, portraying African woman’s struggle and never the triumph. However, there is a positive side to the story.

“This profile of African Women Heads of State aims at telling the other side of their story and most importantly inspiring today and tomorrow’s generations of African women to be greater than those who came before them. These are African Women Heads of State as of July 2021:

Slyvie Kiningi, Acting President of Burundi (February – October 1993):
The first female President in Africa was Slyvie Kiningi. She was the Prime Minister of Burundi from February 10, 1993 to October 7, 1994. During this period, she served as the acting President of the country from October 27, 1993 to February 5, 1994 when the incumbent President Melchior Ndadaye was shot together with 6 of his officials. After his death, Kiningi gathered 15 ministers to continue to govern the country. Thus, technically making her the first female president on the continent.

Ivy Matsepe – Cassaburi, Acting President of South Africa (September 2005): Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi also served temporarily as the acting President of South Africa when the President and his vice were out of the country for four days in September of 2005. She was also selected by the cabinet to serve as the constitutional and official head of state for an interim period of 14 hours on September 25, 2008. This was the period between the resignation of the current President Thabo Mbeki and the taking of office by the Kgalema Motlanthe.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia ( January 2006 – January 2018): Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Africa’s first elected President who served two consecutive terms after winning the 2005 and 2011 Presidential elections. She had initially run for Presidential office in 1997 against Charles Taylor, but she lost. During her tenure she was also elected Chair of the Economic Community of West African States in June of 2016.

Rose Francine Rogombe, Interim President of Gabon (June 2009 – October 2009): Rose Francine Rogombe served as interim President of Gabon from June 2009 to October 2009 after the death of President of Omar Bongo. As President of the Senate at that time, she automatically became the Head of State because she was constitutionally the first in line for presidential succession.

Agnes Monique Ohsan Bellepeau, Acting President of Mauritius (March – July 2012 and May – June 2015): Agnes Monique Ohsan Bellepeau was the Acting President of Mauritius from March 31, 2012 – July 21, 2012. This was the transition period between the resignation of the current President Anerood Jugnauth to the inauguration of the new President Kailash Purryag. She served again as Acting President between the resignation of Purryag and the inauguration of the new President, Ameenah Gurib from May 29, 2015 – June 5, 2015.

Joyce Hilda Banda, President of Malawi (April 2012 – May 2014): Joyce Hilda Banda served as President of Malawi from April 7, 2012 to May 31, 2014 following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. She was the country’s fourth President. She was also the country’s first female Vice President (May 2009 to April 2012). In 2014, Forbes named President Banda as the 40th most powerful woman in the world and the most powerful woman in Africa.

Catherine Samba, Acting President of Central African Republic (January 2014 – March 2016): Catherine Samba Panza was the Acting Head of State of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She became interim President when rebel leader Michael Djotodia resigned from his self appointed Presidency. Before she took on this role, she was the mayor of the capital city Bangui from 2013 to 2014.

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (June 2015 – March 2018): Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was the first female President of Mauritius from 2015 to 2018. She was selected to be a Presidential candidate in 2014 following the resignation of then President Kailash Purryag. She was unanimously elected President by the National Assembly.

Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia (October 2018 – Present): Sahle-Work Zewde is the first elected female President of Ethiopia and currently the only female out of the 54 Presidents in Africa. She took office on October 25, 2018 after being unanimously elected by members of the National Parliamentary Assembly. Prior to her election as President, she worked as Special Representative of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union.

Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania (March 2021 – Present): Samia Suluhu Hassan is the first acting female President of Tanzania and joins the ranks of Sahle-work Zewde as the only other current female President on the continent. She was sworn into office on March 19, 2019 after the sudden passing of the former Tanzanian President, John Magufuli. Prior to being selected as Magufuli’s running mate, Hassan was an avid journalist and activist in Tanzania.

These African women Heads of State stand on the shoulders of many female giants, known and unknown, remembered and forgotten, who came before them. These include for example, but not limited to the Dahomey Amazons of Benin, an all-female military regiment on whose shoulders stand many women serving in armed services and law enforcement. The contribution of women to what Africa is today is unquestionable. If it has happened in Africa severally, it can happen now in Nigeria!

To conclude, “I will contest! I have a dream, that one day, a woman will emerge as the President of Nigeria, and the dream is now!!! “We, women shall try our best in 2023 at all levels and this we promise. From now onwards, she admonishes, every woman should endeavour to speak to at least fifty women to vote for a ‘woman President,’ in Nigeria. Tell five women daily from now till 2023 elections. Remember, Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Your happiness starts from you and not from someone else.’ So should all the Nigerian youth and all the ‘he for she’ and all the men campaign and vote for the first female president in Nigeria in 2023. This could and would be the only functional approach.”

Read more…
2019 “List of Female African Presidents” by Written by Adwoa Ohemeng, edited by Ntama Bahati found here: https://afjn.org/list-of-female-african-presidents/