By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The Women for 35% Initiative of the AJU Morgan Elumelu Foundation has condemned the impeachment of the Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Hon. Alice Tangi Allen, by the state House of Assembly.
The foundation described the development as troubling, particularly because Allen was the only female among the eight elected local government chairmen in the state.
In a statement on Wednesday, Founder of the AJU Morgan Elumelu Foundation and Convener of the Women for 35% Initiative, Amb. AJU Elumelu, called on democratic institutions, civil society organisations, women’s groups and other stakeholders to closely monitor developments in Sagbama and ensure that the rights and dignity of elected officials were protected.
The foundation also urged all parties to pursue constitutional and legal avenues to resolve the matter peacefully and transparently.
Elumelu said the campaign for 35 per cent affirmative action was not merely about increasing the number of women in political offices, but also about creating an environment where women could contest, win, lead and complete their mandates without intimidation or discrimination.
According to him, Allen was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and sworn into office on May 29, 2024, with a mandate from the people of Sagbama.
He alleged that the chairman had faced pressure and political harassment over her refusal to defect from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“For some time now, we have been hearing disturbing stories and reports about Hon. Mrs. Allen allegedly being pushed around, intimidated, pressured and subjected to political harassment because of her refusal to defect from the PDP to the APC.
“We did not rush to make public statements. We watched. We listened,” he said.
Elumelu said the foundation had hoped that dialogue and respect for democratic principles would resolve the situation without confrontation, but regretted that it had culminated in the chairman’s impeachment.
He also expressed concern over reports that Hon. Diepreye Rosline Yankee, who was elected as Councillor and Leader of the House, had been sworn in as Acting Chairman.
The foundation questioned the implications of such developments for democracy and women’s participation in politics.
Elumelu said: “If an elected Local Government Chairman can be pressured to abandon the political party under which she was elected and subsequently face impeachment after refusing to do so, and if another person can then be secretly sworn in to occupy the position, then we must ask ourselves: What does this mean for the future of democracy and women’s participation in politics in Nigeria?”
He described Allen as more than a politician, saying her position represented one of the few instances in which a woman had overcome the barriers to political leadership.
“Women for 35% 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.
He called for an environment where women who win elections could serve their mandates without political coercion.
“We therefore condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any act of intimidation, harassment, coercion or political victimisation against Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen or any other woman in public office,” he said.
The foundation urged relevant authorities and stakeholders to ensure that Allen’s case was handled fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law.
It said women should not merely be encouraged to contest elections but should also be respected when they win.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State House of Assembly had approved the removal of Allen and her Vice-Chairman, Sufade Jefferson Tobi, from office over alleged gross misconduct.
The decision was taken during Tuesday’s plenary following consideration of a petition against the two local government officials.
Speaker of the House, Abraham Ingobere, said the resolution was reached in accordance with the Bayelsa State Local Government Administration Law, 2000, and other relevant legal provisions.
Ingobere said the petition bordered on the alleged failure of the chairman to present monthly financial briefings and the annual budget before spending public funds, as well as her alleged failure to honour invitations by the House to respond to the allegations.
He said the House secured the required two-thirds majority for the removal, with 17 of the 20 lawmakers present voting in favour of the resolution.
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