Politics

2019 Election: Female candidate can emerge governor –Senator

Published

6 years ago

September 8, 2018

Senator Patricia Akwashiki , of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa State , has expressed optimism that a female governor would emerge in Nigeria in 2019.
She spoke with newsmen shortly after submission of her nomination and expression of interest forms to seek the party’ s governorship ticket in Nasarawa .

The aspirant said that despite the cultural factors affecting females , especially in the northern part of the country , she was poised to break the jinx to be the first female to be a governor in Nigeria .
“I agree that it ’ s been a religious and cultural thing in the North . In 2015 , Hajia Aisha Alhassan tried it in Taraba and she almost made it .

“I think it is possible that a woman can be a governor of any part of this country .

“I am the first female to go to the Senate , House of Representatives and the first woman to be made a minister.

“So , I think I will break that jinx and still be the first woman to become a governor in Nigeria .

“It ’ s not impossible. ”

She urged the people not to mortgage their conscience by selling their votes to politicians with money.

Akwashiki decried Nasarawa State ’ s over -reliance on the federation account .

She said there was the need to harness its untapped natural resources and closeness to the Federal Capital Territory to improve its Internally Generated Revenue .

Akwashiki said that PDP Nasarawa had learnt its lesson from the past elections and was ready to do the right thing to win in the 2019 general elections .

“We have learnt our lessons . Where we have done things with impunity , we have apologised and we are also begging people, ” she said.

Another gubernatorial aspirant from Kwara , Mohammed Ajia , advised Nigerian youths to take advantage of their numerical strength to vote young people into elective positions in 2019 .

Ajia , who also submitted his nomination and expression of interest forms , said it was high time the youth stopped complaining or take the back seat in politics .

He said they should get involved to contribute their quota to national development.

“2019 is our time , we should take advantage of it ; we have the number , we have the strength .

“We should support ourselves . If we do this , nobody can stop us .

“We have said that we the young people; we shall actualise our struggles by contesting for elective positions in various political parties , and by so doing , we can impact on our people.

“Complaining at the backside will not solve the situation of Nigeria . ”

( NAN )