2023 Presidency: Willing To Concede To Vice President —Adesanya-Davies

I am now willing to concede to Vice President in 2023 at this point or contest as an Independent candidate -.Adesanya-Davies

A frontline female politician and presidential candidate of Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA) in 2019, Funmilayo Adesanya–Davies who first declared that she would contest the 2023 presidential election but purposely declined was asked reasons why?

She replied, first, the Form turned out not to be free for women as it was claimed, secondly, I simply backed out because of the increasing numbers of persons, l had thought it would be like 3-5 persons ONLY for the PDP Presidential screening ultimately as a consensus candidate emerges. Thirdly, as a woman, I am now willing to concede as Vice President in 2023 at this point or contest as an Independent candidate.

Adesanya-Davies continued,
“If for instance a woman is not made the Nigerian President in 2023, then a woman should unfailing be chosen as running to emerge as the Vice president, and I am willing to conceded that at this point.” -Adesanya-Davies

In a report in Businessday NG by Kamarudeen Ogundele on November 30, 2020, “PDP women had demanded Vice Presidential slot for 2023”. We would recall, “The women’s wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the slot of Vice President as a condition for the party to gain their support in the 2023 Presidential election.

It also called on women to make themselves relevant and available to contest elective offices in order to take advantage of the 35% affirmative action already promised by the party.

The women canvassed this position on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a Two-Day Stakeholders Consultative Meeting, organised in partnership with the International Republican Institute (IRI). The PDP National Woman Leader, Mariya Waziri, said the meeting was called to discuss among the PDP women to encourage and explore suggestions for strengthening the party, especially at the grassroots.

“During this meeting, we shall also review and fine-tune our engagement strategies and approaches, especially bearing in mind that we have some by-elections and governorship election in Anambra on the horizon,” she said. Waziri expressed hope that the women could produce a working document that would be presented to the party during the constitutional review period.

“Amidst all distractions, disruptions, and insinuations, if we only achieve the mass inclusion of women into our political space, we would have achieved our central goal which is what is most important,” she added

The woman leader promised to support women who showed interest in occupying political offices, adding that I am willing to give as much support as possible, provided the woman is able to sustain all other variables. “With deliberate and consistent efforts, and with God Almighty on our side, I have no doubt that we will achieve our goals in due course,” she said.

A member of the sixth National Assembly, Senator Grace Bent (Adamawa South), challenged the PDP to cede the VP’s slot to women if the party needed their support in 2023. She said, “We are saying that in 2023 if our political party does not present a female as a vice presidential candidate, we are not going to support them. So set the ball rolling, all-female stakeholders, female woman leaders, tell the party, give us female vice president, otherwise, we will all sit home; we shall not vote.”

Recalling that a botched attempt was made to push for a woman deputy national chairman in the past, Bent urged the women to work together for the actualisation of the goal

“A lone voice is always a problem and this has always been the problem year-in, year-out. We attempted to push for a deputy national chairman in the person of Hajiya Ina Chiroma and I realised that for women to be successful in politics, you must learn how to fight, you must have an aggressive spirit because no one gives it to you on a platter of gold,” she said.

Corroborating, a former Leader of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Areola-Akande, lamented that the women were lagging behind and needed to come together. “It is only if we unite that the men will see our strength. Women who have been in the National Assembly, we tried our best. When you are a lone voice, you can’t achieve anything, but when we have the number, they will respect us,” she said.

In her opening remarks, the Resident Programme Director of IRI, Angee Wambugu, acknowledged that by the 2019 elections, there was a decline in the representation for women. She said, “So we feel that in order to bridge and avoid such pitfalls in subsequent elections, we have to work towards enhancing the participation of women within the political party processes.

“We are supporting the office of the Woman Leader on this occasion to identify areas where there could be recommendations especially now that the party is undergoing reforms to see how we can further enhance the participation of women leaders.”.She promised that recommendations from the meeting would be taken to the national leadership of the party for implementation.

She added, “By the convention of 2022, we should have more women occupying executive positions within the party and by 2023, we should have more women taking up political positions. “We cannot have women constituting half of the Nigerian electoral demography and yet, we are struggling with the figure of women who are elected during general elections. This is the time to change that narrative and it has to start with the PDP.”

PRINCESS Prof. Funmilayo
Adesanya-Davies answers further questions with another correspondent:

QUESTION

Women are said to have been marginalised in Nigerian politics but your party has drastically reduced the fee of the form for women at ₦6m as against ₦40m for their male counterparts. Do you see this as an opportunity for more women to join the race or another way to push the women out of the race?

ANSWER

The sales off form for women at ₦6m as against ₦40m for
is a sense is still not FREE as it is claimed to be, ₦6m for a woman is still s lot of money and as such not it’s not enough opportunity for more women to join the race but another way to push them out of the race. It’s is notably sad that the EoI form is even ₦30m in APC, and the nomination form ₦100m. It’s actually unheard of.

QUESTION

In 2019, you aspired to become the president of Nigeria but your ambition did not come to fruition; how did that make you feel?

ANSWER

It doesn’t feel really good because I have a blue print for Nigeria. The agenda I always refer to as “ADVANCED RESTRUCTURING AGENDA’. But what could one do, it’s not a do or die affair, it’s a democratic process. The people must first believe and embrace the plan you have for them no matter how good it is, before you can execute it.

I am used to leaving behind my expectations if not met. I also believe that there is perfect timing in everything. God’s time is the best and as such I don’t ever take things personally. I put in all my efforts, but I don’t look for perfection in all. Life is full of disappointments. Again, as we race towards the 2023 elections, stark inequalities have become more glaring than ever, as most women couldn’t afford to pay for the Expression of Interest Forms. This will lead to unsavoury consequences for our quality of life in general, particularly for women and children as the women are edged out of positions.

QUESTION

You also contested in the last election and as usual, politicians after losing elections often walk away and silent on national issues until another election is approaching. Can you tell Nigerians what you have been doing since 2019 and why Nigerian should never forget you?

QUESTION

May I just simply day – “Google it!” Since after the 2019 election, I have never rested on my oasis or walk away being silent on national issues but I have always been contributing as a stakeholder in the national building. Why would one wait until another election is approaching? I am an academic and I am into media and I can’t to be quiet at all.

Your aspiration would have taught you a lot about women in politics in Nigeria, what are some of the things you learnt?

ANSWER

I have actually documented that experience in one of my books titled: ‘Women in African Politics: A venture into Politics” at: https://www.amazon.com/WOMEN-AFRICAN-POLITICS-Politics-PRESIDENCY/dp/6138946219.’ My experience shows that, the problems of an African woman and by extension that of Nigerian woman in politics in summary, first is that, women folks are being looked down upon. Second is the stereo typing of women to certain social roles in the society. Third, is the religious bias against women, especially in Northern Nigeria. Fourth, no support from women to women. There are not enough HeForShe mobilisations for women support. There is no enough support from the Youths and no enough support from the men as women always support them, etc. What about funding? Politics is seriously about money and funding are denied women due to lack of trust they could win.

It is no longer news that direct correlations have been established between accelerated socioeconomic development in countries and high numbers of women holding political positions, both elective and appointive; and our beloved country is in dire need of this balance whether we acknowledge it or not.

QUESTION

Some people often say that politics is a dirty game and not one for a woman; to buttress that, President Muhammadu Buhari ones said that his wife belongs in the kitchen and the other room. Do you think comments like this affect women’s participation in politics?

ANSWER

Yes, such comments are undesirable and quite discouraging, but it’s not stopping the women folks, rather they are still moving on. For instance, there are at least five-six female Presidential Aspirant from various parties ready to contest the 2023 presidential election. Take a look at this website, for most of the aspirants, https://www.nigerianwomenaspirants.com/

QUESTION

Recently, the first lady urged politicians to ensure women are their running mates for elective offices; do you align with her statement or feel women can run these offices?

ANSWER

She is saying, in addition to their (women) running for these office, the men should as well ensure women are their running mates. So, sure, I concur, that if Nigeria for instance, cannot produce Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, the former female President of Liberia, for now as the giant of Africa, they should at least be able to produce Kamala Harris, the first female and black president of the USA in the 2023 up coming elections, and this should be at various levels, such as presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, etc. Her statement isn’t mutually exclusive.

QUESTION

What do you think can be done to draw more women into politics?

ANSWER

Women by nature could be passive and uninterested in matters that doesn’t directly concern them unless they are edged in; especially in such fields, as politics. Necessary
incentives, encouragement, organising of seminars and workshops towards enlightenment, etc., would be able to draw them in.

QUESTION

What were your thoughts when you read about the rejection five gender equality bills that sought to alter the Constitution by the National Assembly?

ANSWER

It’s quite unfortunate. I was sad and it was quite disturbing until we were told these bills would still be reconsidered again after the women’s protests. I was also glad we won the 35 percent affirmative action in court.

QUESTION

You got to the peak of your career as a professor, what made you venture into politics?

ANSWER

Yes, I have lectured in the University since 1985 to-date, that about 37 years. My intention is to practicalise some of my Sociolinguistics lectures away from the four walls of the classroom and give back to the nation that made me. There is a wide gap between theory and practical as we all know, I’d thought it was not just enough teaching courses such as Language and National Development in the classroom all years alone, it was time for execution of all those learning and teaching experiences.

QUESTION

What were some of the high and low points you faced during your presidential aspiration?

ANSWER

Yeah, funding, travelling, discouragements from some friends and family members that politics is a dangerous game and there is no need to venture into the delicate zone and terrain for purposes of sanity and long life.

QUESTION

Some would ask, why not start small, probably a legislative post. Why presidency?

ANSWER

I have gathered enough academic and administrative experiences already and every past President of Nigeria so far were teachers… You will recall if we name them one after the other pls. Again, I believe I am destined to one day become the first female president of Nigeria and I went for the target as I had always said, “I have a dream that one day a woman will become the president of Nigeria to transform and the dream is now”

QUESTION

What are your thoughts on the girl-child in Nigeria as well as the state of the nation today?

ANSWER

For now, I believe the girl-child is not yet fairly well positioned in the country, like the theme of the this year’s International Women’s Day, there is the need to, “Break the Bias” when it comes to the placement of the girl-child in the educational, social, political, religious and every other spheres.

QUESTION

The Ondo State Government is concluding arrangement to return all private schools taken over by the government to initial owners. Your home state, Kwara has been heated up lately over the crisis caused by the use of hijab in mission schools taken over by the government in the late 70s, can you advise your state government with the Ondo initiative?

ANSWER

I already did, as the International Director and Country President of UN-POLAC International Peace Advocates following a Conference paper presentation on the issue. I have requested our position as International Peace Advocates be sent to the Kwara Governor to emulate the Ondo state Governor’s initiatives on the issue of Muslim students wearing hijab in Christian mission schools. It’s uncalled for.

QUESTION

There some intrigues in the 2023 elections. What are your thoughts and possible predictions.

ANSWER

I’ll like to reserve my comments on this question please, it’s too early. For instance on Presidential ticket alone, there 15 aspirants on the platform PDP and15 aspirants on the platform APC apart from the 15 aspirants from the rest parties, of which 6 are females.

The primaries are scheduled for between 4 April and 3 June 2022. The winners of the election to be inaugurated on 29 May 2023, the former date of Democracy Day. The Presidential Aspirants list so far include:
APC – 15
PDP – 15
ADC – 3
SDP – 3
PRP – 2
APGA – 1
Accord Party – 1
Labour Party – 1
NNPP – 1
YPP – 1.

While I strongly feel that the PDP will return back to power in 2023 as Nigerians are already fed up with the 8years of the APC trial and error federal government attempts, it too early to describe the power play and intrigues in the 2023 general elections.

QUESTION
Your last words please!

ANSWER

As I have said, that as a woman, I am now willing to concede Vice Presidential position in 2023 at this point, because if a woman is not made the Nigerian President in 2023, then a woman should unfailing be chosen as running to emerge as the Vice president… However, ultimately, I have a dream that one day a woman will become the president of Nigeria to transform this nation.