There was palpable excitement and jubilation among some women groups at the national headquarters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, when Princess Iye Grace Adejoh, picked the party’s expression of interest form to contest the November 16 governorship poll in Kogi State. It was obvious from the mood of the women that they were prepared to make a bold statement in the forthcoming election as they demonstrated in words and gestures that they want to displace the menfolk, who has been taking them for granted.Remarkably, Princess Adejoh captured the mood among the women, even as she declared that giving leadership position to the female gender is akin to insurance cover for the country. The governorship hopeful contended that women are good managers at home and in office, assuring that she would ensure that Kogi State regains its pride of place in the comity states in Nigeria.
While insisting that she is in the race to rescue the children of Kogi from the indoctrination of thuggery and violence, Princess Adejoh noted that although PDP has been through tick and thin, it is now witnessing a form of strange opposition since 2015.
“If not for the resilience of those at the leadership,” she added, “the party would have crumbled completely. I recall how a few citizens of the country, amid military intimidation, insisted that democracy be institutionalized by forming PDP, which eventually ruled the country for 16 years.”
While admonishing party faithful further she stated: “PDP has done well particularly in a few years that the party faced a strange form of opposition. Let us not forget how the country was before a few individuals like Prof. Jerry Gana, late Alex Ekwueme formed G-8 and later G-18 that metamorphosed into PDP with so much sacrifice for the country.”
Princess Adejoh assured her supporters and women that she would fulfill her ambition to be governor on the platform of PDP, saying that the party has always been supportive of female candidates in the past. In echoing her optimism, the PDP National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), said the menfolk has no business governing Kogi State after the disaster of the past three years. Akobundu said the party is undergoing rebranding so as to win more states, adding that Kogi and Bayelsa States would be among PDP states in the forthcoming governorship elections.
His words: “This is a party that has been rebranded to win more states and we are committed to winning Kogi and Bayelsa States in the forthcoming governorship elections. We also urge you to follow the party’s constitution and the electoral laws so as to avoid legal tussle and, as you are aware, this is purely and truly a rebranded party committed to transparency.
“So that Kogi State is retrieved from those who don’t have business governing the state. We are happy with men and women who kept faith with the Peoples Democratic Party despite the challenges it has faced in the past few years.”
Akobundu told Princes Adejoh: “Your participation would make electioneering more interesting for women in Kogi, believing that they will all come out to support the party. Anywhere we can assist you without compromising the process, we will not be intimidated by men who are already in the race.”
