A top runner for the Kaduna central Senate seat, Alhaji Lawal Adamu Usman (Mr LA) has said that participation in electoral processes involves much more than just voting.
Speaking to a delegation of northern groups led by the Northern Emancipation Network, Mr LA said, political participation derives from the freedom to speak out, assemble and associate; the ability to take part in the conduct of public affairs; and the opportunity to register as a candidate, to campaign, to be elected and to hold office at all levels of government.
“Under international standards, men and women, young and old, have an equal right to participate fully in all aspects of the political process,” he said.
He pointed out however, that in practice, it is often harder in undeveloped democracies for women and the young to exercise this right.
“In countries like Nigeria that are not fully developed democratically, there are frequently extra barriers to young people and women’s participation, and special care is required to ensure their rights are respected in this regard, especially in states such as Kaduna,” said Mr LA.
Taking a swipe at political parties in Nigeria, Mr LA said they are among the most easily manipulated institutions affecting the youth and women’s political participation.
“In Kaduna state for instance, government in power tends to usurp the prerogatives of the ruling party to determine which candidates are nominated and elected and which issues achieve prominence.
“The role of women and the youth in the political development of such states is therefore relegated and their prospects for political empowerment are compromised.
“Because, in cases like Kaduna state, government actors assume more powers than the political parties, the parties ultimately lose their influence in shaping young people and women’s political prospects,” he said.
Further justifying why he and others had to withdraw their membership of the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna state, Mr LA said, liberal minded politicians seeking to advance the participation of women and young people in election processes were unjustifiably persecuted through government’s manipulation of the party structure.
He advised women and young people in Nigeria to become involved in certain aspects of the electoral process through independent action—particularly at the state and local levels—and by joining civil society organizations.
“A lot of women and young people in other parts of the world have gained political experience by participating in Women’s and youth networks, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, and so on,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the groups deputy leader of the Northern Emancipation Network, Miss Linda Garba lamented that while the rights of women are enshrined in law, and there are no formal legal barriers to youths and women’s participation in processes.
In Kaduna, however, there are formidable obstacles to their active participation in politics.
She said the hurdles unduly placed by the current Kaduna state government in collaboration with the ruling party can be particularly daunting for young people considering running for office, and may be overwhelming for women.
“The political space in Kaduna has today been so constricted that many women and the young have found unwelcoming or even hostile as they face severe practical barriers including a paucity of financial resources, less access to information, and a deprivation of rights that has left them with fewer opportunities to acquire political experience.
“With the exception of the close relatives and friends of the politicians currently in power in the state, other people are generally deprived of the wherewithal to acquire the political relevance necessary for electoral success,” Miss Garba said.
She commended Mr LA’s support and encouragement for the effort to break the barriers to youth and women’s political participation in Kaduna state characterized by militarism, dominance of a small group of elites, the absence of well-established party structure, and other limiting factors.
“When the ruling party is based more on select personalities associated with government than on issue-focused platforms and programmes, as is the case in Kaduna, it is harder for women and young people to emerge as political leaders,” she said.
She called on women to key into the Mr LA Movement which offers unique opportunities to institute changes in the political structure and political culture that would ensure the recognition and realization of women and young people’s right to participate fully and equally in politics.
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