By Uthman-Baba Naseer,Minna <\/p>\n
Former Director-General of the Niger State Child Rights Agency( NSCRA), and legal practitioner, Barrister Maryam Haruna Kolo, has called for stronger inclusion of women in politics, lamenting that female politicians in Nigeria continue to face intimidation, exclusion, and lack of representation in decision-making processes.<\/p>\n
Speaking during an interview, Maryam Kolo,said the political system remains unfair to women despite their active participation and contributions during elections and political campaigns.<\/p>\n
She explained that her decision to venture into politics was driven by the desire to create positive change and ensure the protection of citizens\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came into politics to make a difference. Coming from a legal and judicial background as a magistrate, I saw gaps in representation and governance. I believed there was a need to give people a stronger voice and ensure their rights are adequately protected,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Woman activist,and former Senior Magistrate, noted that women remain largely sidelined despite their overwhelming presence during elections and campaign activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen come out massively during campaigns and voting, but when it comes to appointments and decision-making, they are hardly considered. You can see committees formed without a single woman included. It is unfair,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
According to her, the political environment for women remains extremely difficult, as many women struggle to gain recognition within political party structures.<\/p>\n
She blamed the marginalization of women on societal misconceptions and male dominance in politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is this belief that men are naturally better leaders or decision-makers, which is not true. Leadership is something people learn on the job. Nobody was born with political experience,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She added that many qualified women are often ignored while less qualified men are given political opportunities.<\/p>\n
The former Director General Child Right Agency, also rejected claims that religion or Northern culture discourages women from leadership positions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIslam does not stop women from attaining greatness. The wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was a successful businesswoman. Even in Northern Nigeria, we have seen women serve successfully in leadership positions,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
According to her, the challenge of facing women in politics is more rooted in societal attitudes than religion or culture.
\nShe stressed the need for laws that would guarantee political inclusion for women, describing the reserved seats bill as a crucial step toward achieving gender balance in governance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only lasting solution is an enabling law. That is why the reserved seats bill for women is important. We are not asking men to surrender all positions to women; we are only asking for fair opportunities and representation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She warned that without proper legal backing and implementation, many women would continue to withdraw from active politics.<\/p>\n
On the issue of intimidation, she said women face constant pressure and resistance from male politicians.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, every day. Women face intimidation constantly from men in politics. Many do not want women involved in decision-making. They prefer women to remain only supporters during elections,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
She further lamented that financial challenges and lack of support continue to discourage many women from contesting political positions.<\/p>\n
The former Child Rights Agency DG, however, commended Mohammed Umaru Bago for appointing women into various positions across Niger State.<\/p>\n
According to her, the governor has shown commitment to women\u2019s inclusion through appointments across the 25 local government areas, expressing optimism that more opportunities would be created for women ahead of future elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe he will continue to support women and create more opportunities for female representation in the House of Assembly and National Assembly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Speaking on her previous political ambitions, Harunukulun described her inability to secure elective positions as painful but insisted that it had not weakened her determination.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if I have to contest ten times, I will continue. My spirit is not broken. If one woman succeeds politically, I see it as a victory for all women,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n
She also reaffirmed her loyalty to the All Progressives Congress APC, saying she remains committed to strengthening the party.<\/p>\n
The woman activist, expressed concern over the consensus arrangement being adopted in some areas ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that it could create disunity within political parties.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn many local governments, consensus may not work because people feel excluded. Women are hardly considered during these arrangements, which is why many of us prefer open contests,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The legal practitioner further explained that if elected into office, her priority would be lawmaking that directly impacts women, children, and the general welfare of society.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people think lawmakers are only there to distribute items like machines or refrigerators, but the real responsibility is to enact laws that improve people\u2019s lives and support development,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
She also expressed concern over rising indiscipline and social misconduct among youths, calling for stricter enforcement of existing laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are laws against harassment, violence, and public disorder, but enforcement is weak. Authorities must enforce these laws so that society can become safer and more disciplined,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In the 2027 general elections, Maryam Haruna Kolo predicted a highly competitive and emotionally charged political atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe the elections will be very dicey and emotional. There may also be movements of politicians from one party to another. My prayer is that political actors remain patient and peaceful throughout the process,\u201d she added<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Uthman-Baba Naseer,Minna Former Director-General of the Niger State Child Rights Agency( NSCRA), and legal practitioner, Barrister Maryam Haruna Kolo, has called for stronger inclusion of women in politics, lamenting that female politicians in Nigeria continue to face intimidation, exclusion, and lack of representation in decision-making processes. Speaking during an interview, Maryam Kolo,said the political […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13536,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13534\/revisions\/13536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}