PDP Gets Substantive National Chairman

…party seeks more seats for women at NASS

THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has declared its support for a bill before the National Assembly seeking to reserve seats for women in the legislature.

PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, made the commitment during a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, on Monday, ahead of its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Abuja.

Reiterating the party’s commitment to women’s inclusion in governance, Damagum said it was no longer enough to have the 35 per cent affirmative action for women on paper; it must be translated into action.

“Recently, the National Assembly has been pushing forward with the liberation and inclusion of women in governance.

“You’ll recall that the Speaker of the House of Representatives sent a delegation led by the Minister of Women Affairs and the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs to visit the National Working Committee, NWC.

“Their mission was to engage us on the reserved seats bill. At that meeting, we gave our word that we will endorse the bill. We also remain committed to advancing women’s inclusion at all levels of leadership, in our party and in the country,” he said.

Damagum noted that although the PDP constitution already supported 35 per cent affirmative action, the time had come for actual implementation.

He added that as the party prepares for its national convention, meaningful representation of women must be ensured, not just in committees but also in the election of national officers.