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The Kebbi Development Forum (KDF) has appealed to Governor Atiku Bagudu to ensure full participation of women in the state’s local council polls holding on October 26,2019.
Chairman of the forum, Professor Danladi Sahabi, who made the call at a meeting in Birnin Kebbi, later today reporters that the gathering examined issues germane to the success of the forthcoming election and steps to be taken for competent persons to be voted into office as chairpersons and councillors at this important tier of government.
He stressed that the involvement of women in governance would promote democracy.
Attended by political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), the media and other key stakeholders, the meeting reviewed how political groupings could field credible candidates and engage the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KSIEC)) and other relevant stakeholders for a free and fair poll.
“We will join hands with you as citizens of Kebbi who want to see good governance and decent democracy to ensure that competent people emerge through a decent process of election.
“We want the exercise to be free and fair. We want to see how the electorate and the communities could be mobilised to vote for credible people in the forthcoming local government election in the state,” Sahabi stated.
The forum’s secretary general, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, sought the cooperation of stakeholders in achieving the set objectives, promising a robust engagement.
He disclosed that three committees – engagement, publicity and mobilisation – are to be raised for achievement of the purpose.
Participants however identified high cost of nomination forms, lack of parties’ internal democracy, money politics, political godfatherism and non-mobilisation of communities as some of the issues to be addressed for the successful conduct of the election.