Ado Salisu
The Bayelsa All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Forum said it has technocrats and professionals that could add much value to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu-led government if given the opportunity.
Dame Julie Donli, the forum chairperson and former director general of Naptip, stated this in a statement, personally signed by her and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
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She appealed to the party’s leadership to consider its members for political appointments across all levels.
Donli said the demand for inclusion by Bayelsa APC Women in President Bola Tinubu’s government also reflects a broader call for greater representation of women in governance.
She said the movement was driven by promises made during President Tinubu’s campaign, where he vowed to increase women’s participation in government to at least 35% of all positions.
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She expressed frustration over the lack of representation of Bayelsa women in President Bola Tinubu’s government, despite their crucial role in his electoral victory.
She emphasised that many women in the state who actively supported the APC and President Tinubu deserve a seat at the table but have been left out of key appointments, which has dampened their spirits
“Your Excellency, the Bayelsa APC women’s wing gave everything, including their time, energy, and resources, and some even paid the ultimate price towards the success of the Tinubu campaign.
“Now, we are two years into the Administration’s victory we helped deliver, yet not a single one of us has been appointed or acknowledged.
“Our women have not been compensated for all their pains and sacrifices, and we feel neglected.
“As Bayelsa APC women, we want to advocate that we should be carried along in all the party’s affairs, not just in the state, but at the federal level.
“We are closer to the party women at the grassroots, the largest voting bloc in the state, and so our demography should not be neglected,” Donli said.
She recalled that the Bayelsa APC women were a part and parcel of her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s campaign train, who transversed the length and breadth of the country and took the message to the grassroots.
She stressed that the current situation had broken the spirit of many women from the state who stood boldly for the APC and President Tinubu at a time when others were undecided and non-chalant.
“We campaigned vigorously and tirelessly in the riverine communities others couldn’t reach.
“But today, our dedication and hard work have been undervalued, while others who didn’t contribute as much are being rewarded instead,” she said.
The Bayelsa APC women’s leader emphasized the urgency for President Tinubu and the party leadership to address the concerns of their supporters, in order to rebuild trust, boost morale, and maintain the enthusiasm of its support base.
She emphasized that prolonged silence and exclusion could have severe consequences for the party’s future prospects in the state.