Women Group Protests Over The Killing of Kogi PDP Woemen Leader Salome Abuh
Women in Politics Forum (WIPF) has re-stated its call for justice for the death of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Woman Leader, Salome Abuh, who was burnt to death in her house during the Kogi governorship election.
The National President, of the group, Ebere Ifendu, made the demand while speaking to newsmen at the end of a panel session on women in politics during the national women’s dialogue titled “Womanifesto”.
In order to pass their grievances across to the Federal Government, various groups of women, NGOs, female religious groups marched from the National Centre for Women Development to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs after a three-day conference in Abuja on Friday.
READ: Salome Abuh: Senate Calls for Arrest, Prosecution Killers of PDP Women Leader
Speaking at the briefing, Ifendu decried the poor participation of women in politics, which she attributed to violence and intimidation. The situation which she said would discourage more women from participating in politics, thereby stalling their contribution to national development.
“There must be justice for Salome because this is a huge crime against women; we are still struggling to find our feet with all the challenges women face and now this.
“We are afraid and going down on a daily basis but there must be justice to give us reasons to continue.
“We hold Inspector-General of Police accountable, we will follow the prosecution because somebody must pay for that gruesome murder.
“If we fail Salome we fail ourselves, but if there is justice we know that she didn’t die in vain.”
She also urged women not to run away from politics because if they do, their aims of political participation won’t be achieved.
Speaking on the need for a violence-free society that would herald a bright future for women in politics and all sectors, Ifendu also called for an amended Electoral Act that would make political parties to ensure internal party democracy where people have equal fields to contest for any position.
“In fact what women are demanding now is twinning. That is a situation whereby when we have male president a woman should be vice president and so at all levels of governance,” she said.
On her part, the National Coordinator, 100 Women Lobby Group, Felicia Onibon, blamed the challenges women faced on patriarchy.
She, therefore, urged women and all stakeholders to hold the ace and unbundle it so that women could move forward.
