By Admin
The Women for 35 per cent Initiative of the AJU Morgan Elumelu Foundation has condemned the reported impeachment of Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, Mrs Alice Allen.
The initiative described the development as troubling, particularly because Allen is the only female among the eight elected local government chairmen in the state.
In a statement signed by AJU Elumelu, Founder of the Foundation and Convener of the Women for 35 per cent Initiative, the group said Allen was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and sworn into office on May 29, 2024.
He said the elected chairman received a mandate from the people of Sagbama Local Government Area and should be allowed to serve in accordance with the law.
Elumelu said the initiative had refrained from making public statements while monitoring the situation, hoping that dialogue and respect for democratic principles would resolve the matter.
He, however, expressed concern that the situation had now culminated in Allen’s impeachment.
Elumelu also raised concerns over reports that Diepreye Yankee, elected Councillor and Leader of the House, had been sworn in as Acting Chairman of the council.
He said the development raised broader questions about democratic governance, political freedom and women’s participation in leadership.
Elumelu said that its campaign was not about supporting any political party but about protecting women’s participation in democracy and ensuring that elected women were allowed to serve their mandates without coercion.
“Women for 35 per cent cannot remain silent. Our campaign is not about supporting one political party against another. It is about protecting women’s participation in democracy,” he said.
Elumelu called on relevant authorities, democratic institutions, civil society organisations, women’s organisations and other stakeholders to closely examine the developments in Sagbama and ensure that the rights and dignity of elected officials were protected.
He said the struggle for 35 per cent affirmative action was not merely about getting women into political offices, but also creating an environment where women could enter, remain, lead and complete their mandates without intimidation or discrimination.(
