The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has restated its commitment to ensuring that women, youths and persons living with disabilities,PWDs, are fully integrated into the electioneering process in Nigeria, and also present themselves for elective positions in the 2027 general elections.
The party said that this is in keeping with a key promise to carry every Nigerian, both at home and in the Diaspora, along.
A statement signed by the party’s National Secretary, Barr. Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, said “the fact that someone is young and may not be a money bag or is disadvantaged by some physical disabilities should not shut him or her from contributing their quota to nation-building”.
According to the NDC scribe, “Women, due to cultural and other inhibitions, have also been largely receiving the short end of the democracy stick. They, therefore need some form of affirmative action to give them the needed push to participate and contest.”
He said this is so because the NDC feels that Nigeria would be short-changing itself if it unwittingly shuts out about 50 per cent of its population, as represented by women, from the democratic process.
To this effect, Enekweizu reaffirmed that all women aspirants on the platform of the NDC are to pay 50 per cent of the advertised costs of both the Expression of Interest Forms currently on sale, as well the Nomination Forms which is currently on sale.
Similarly, aspirants aged between 18 years and 35 years are also to pay 50 per cent of the advertised fees, while Persons Living with Disabilities are to pay 25 per cent of the advertised fees.
The statement also clarified that while Presidential, Governorship and National Assembly Forms are to be obtained at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, those for the State Houses of Assembly are to be collected at the party state offices.