A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Ekiti State, Mrs Folasade Akinrinmola, has alleged discrimination against women in the composition of caretaker committee members for the party in the state.
Akinrinmola, a former chairman of Gbonyin Local Government Area of the state, spoke in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Saturday in reaction to the list of the 19-member caretaker committee composed for the state chapter by the PDP National Working Committee on Friday.
The 19-member committee chaired by Dare Adeleke has names of two women – Mrs Moji Omotoso and Mrs Abeni Olayinka as members.
The former council chairman, who accused the PDP national leadership of failure to do due diligence in coming up with the 19-member list, which comprised only two women, urged the party to withdraw the list and make the necessary amend in order to reflect the true image of the party as being representative of all”.
Akinrinmola alleged that apart from discriminating against women, “some members of the party who had indicated interest in contesting were included in the list.
She added, “I am surprised to see a list full of men with only two women. What are they trying to tell the women who had stood by the party in difficult times? Are they saying women are no longer relevant in the party? Even if they claim not to know the credentials of active women in Ekiti, can’t they consult some of us who had led the party before?”
She urged the PDP national leadership “to include six females in the list in order to give women a sense of belonging in the party without further delay. Failure to correct the anomaly can dampen the spirit of the women folks in the party or force them to quit”.
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