· With only 8.9% female participations
By Godfrey AKON
A total of 473 candidates are jostling for the 68 chairmanship, vice chairmanship and councillorship positions in the Saturday February 12, FCT Area Council Elections.
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a Stakeholders’ Meeting on the 2022 Area Council Elections Organised by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, in Abuja.
Yakubu said “After the period for substitution and withdrawal of candidates as provided by law, the Commission has listed 473 candidates sponsored by 14 political parties for the forthcoming elections. In all, 110 candidates (Chair and Vice Chair) are vying for the leadership of the six Area Councils while 363 candidates are competing for 62 councillorship positions.”
Data earlier released by INEC showed low participation of women in the elective positions as a total of 14 candidates are contesting for the 6 chairmanship positions in the six area councils, among whom are only 3 females, representing 5.5 per cent of the total number of contestants.
Female representation in the vice chairmanship position is 8, totaling 14.5 per cent out of 55 contestants. Of the 363 councillorship candidates, there are only 31 females, representing only 8.5 per cent.
On the whole, a total of 473 candidates and their running mates are vying for 68 elective positions in FCT out of which only 42 candidates, representing 8.9 per cent are female.
Meanwhile, a total of 363 candidates are jostling for the 62 councillorship positions, while 110 candidates are vying for the 6 chairmanship and vice chairmanship positions in the territory.
A breakdown of female participation shows that AMAC with 12 wards and the highest number of contestants for councillorship position- 98, has 14 candidates vying for chairmanship, under 14 political parties, with 1 female candidate for chairmanship, 5 female contestants for vice chairmanship, and 15 female councillorship candidates.
Bwari, on the other hand, with 10 wards’ and 71 councillorship contestants, has 11 contestants for chairmanship position, under 11 political parties, with 2 female candidates for chairmanship, 1 female contestant for vice chairmanship and 6 female contenders for councilor.
Gwagwalada followed with 10 wards, 59 councillorship contenders, 9 chairmanship candidates and no female participation, except for the vice chairmanship and councillorship positions which have 1 and 6 candidates respectively.
Similarly, Kwali with 10 wards, 51 councillorship contenders, 8 chairmanship candidates but no female participation except for the vice chairmanship position which has one contestant and councillorship position with1 contender.
No fewer than 6 chairmanship candidates will be slugging it out on the February 12 election in Kuje Area Council with no female participation for the chairman and vice chairmanship positions except for the 3 female candidates that would be participating among the 44 contending for the 10 councillorship positions in the 10 wards of the area council.
All the area councils have zero per cent representation of people living with disabilities, PLWDs, in their list of contestants.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Yakubu, has assured that there are enough ad hoc staff engaged and trained for the election and that non-sensitive materials have been deployed to the various Area Councils. Non-pharmaceutical materials have been procured to protect voters and personnel from COVID-l9 in line with the Commission’s policy based on the protocols prescribed by health authorities. Voter education and publicity are ongoing.
The INEC boss reiterated the importance of peace to the successful conduct of the Area Council elections, noting that on its part, INEC will protect the integrity of the process.
