Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, on Tuesday ordered that women be given 35% of all executive posts in all organs of the party structure ahead of congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party scheduled to hold from 25th September to 16th October.
This is as the governor also called on stakeholders to settle for ‘consensus arrangement’ as the mode of choosing the party executives in the state.
Governor Fintiri handed down the directive during a stakeholders meeting of the party.
The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was the only conspicuous absentee at the meeting which was held at the banquet hall of Government House Yola.
The directive to have 35% women in elective positions does however not have the backing of the law, hence it is yet to be ascertained if it would be followed to the letter, as politics is men dominated in Nigeria.
He said, “You must make room for women.
“Women must get 35 percent in all elective offices under this consensus arrangement because this will open the door for women to come into leadership positions in the exco at the state.”
On the mode of emergence of party leadership starting from the ward, he told stakeholders of the party that beginning at the ward congresses which come up later this September, that it would be with hand-picking adding that similar methods would be used in electing executives at the local government levels, with stakeholders agreeing on such executives by consensus.
While charging stakeholders to adhere to the mode for choosing the party executives prescribed at the meeting, the governor dared any member who wishes to disobey his directive at the meeting.
“We are going to select people whose pedigrees are known to us; and the stakeholders in each ward will have to agree on that list.
“We have the forms for the congresses, which we would give to those so selected and who we are confident can steer our party to victory in future elections.
“Then, we will set party members to queue up behind them. The date has come, as you all know, the congresses have been set for September 25th to 16th October, 2021.
“You can go to Abuja and go and buy the forms, we are waiting for you,” the governor stated.
Nobody objected to the governor’s decree on how to proceed with the forthcoming congresses even though he threw open the floor and sought the input of any member with contrary opinion to speak or counter him.
But no stakeholder objected, and so, Fintiri continued, saying “Excerpt for anybody who thinks it ( congress) should be open. The floor is open.
Joel Madaki, an elder statesman and former PDP state party chairman, who responded on behalf of elders of the party said the governor’s presentation had gladdened the hearts of party members.
He, therefore, charged everyone to comply with the decisions taken by the leader of the party.
