.Women leaders launch nationwide mobilisation
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has pledged to give women a greater role in the affairs of the party, including political appointments, elections and decision-making, as its women leaders commence a nationwide mobilisation drive ahead of future electoral contests.
The National Chairman of the party, Professor Sadiq Gombe, gave the assurance yesterday at a strategic meeting between the national women leadership and state women leaders of the SDP in Abuja.
Gombe, who was represented at the meeting by the South-south Deputy National Chairman of the party, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, said the SDP was undergoing reforms and reorganisation aimed at strengthening its structures and positioning it for future political activities.
He assured women members that the party would ensure their greater inclusion in its activities, stressing that women would be given their rightful place in political appointments, party administration and elections.
According to him, the party’s forthcoming manifesto would contain policies covering various sectors of the economy and society, including provisions designed to promote greater participation and inclusion of women in the political process.
The chairman described the SDP as an ideological political party committed to the welfare of Nigerians and the principles enshrined in Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution.
He urged women leaders to sustain their mobilisation efforts at the grassroots and prepare women across the country for active participation in the party’s future campaigns and programmes.
Gombe also commended the National Woman Leader and other female leaders for their commitment and sacrifices towards expanding the party’s support base.
Earlier, the National Speaker of the SDP Women Parliament, Ambassador Hajiya Sa’adatu Abdullahi, had called on women leaders across the country to intensify grassroots mobilisation and build strong structures ahead of future elections.
Abdullahi said women could no longer afford to remain on the margins of the political process, urging them to organise themselves and establish functional structures across states, local government areas, wards and communities.
She said effective political participation required more than mere aspirations, stressing that success at the polls was dependent on organisation, sacrifice, strategy, commitment and sustained engagement with the grassroots.
“This meeting gives us an opportunity to assess where we are, identify our weaknesses, strengthen our structures and develop practical strategies for taking the SDP message to every ward, community and household,” she said.
The National Speaker said the SDP Women Parliament was determined to strengthen its structures and mobilise more women to participate actively in the party’s activities.
She urged state women leaders to regard themselves as strategic pillars of the party and to demonstrate focus, discipline, teamwork and commitment to the collective vision of the SDP.
Abdullahi also called for unity among women members, urging them to put aside their differences and work towards a common objective.
She argued that greater unity among women would strengthen the party’s structures and give them a stronger voice in the SDP and the wider political space.
The National Speaker commended the state women leaders for the sacrifices they had made, particularly those who travelled long distances and financed their participation in the Abuja meeting.
She charged them to return to their respective states with renewed determination and translate the resolutions reached at the meeting into tangible results.
“Our strength is in our unity, our power is in our organisation, and our weapon is our determination. We must organise, mobilise and deliver results,” Abdullahi said.