Oluseyi Dasilva
A Governorship aspirant, Biodun Olujimi, PDP-Ekiti South, has warned those who engage in gender discrimination, talking down 2022 governorship election in Ekiti, warning them to stop insulting women.
Olujimi who stated this on Sunday also formally declared her ambition to participate in the 2022 governorship contest on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP an event that took place in her ward 7, Omuo Ekiti, in Ekiti-East Local Government Area of the state.
Senator Biodun Olujimi, a former Senate Minority Leader reiterated the need for the people to focus on capacity and competence of the governor to deliver democratic dividends to them.
According to her, being a governor is neither a gender issue nor something spectacularly the exclusive preserve for men.
“I feel insulted and offended when some people insinuate that it is not time for women to be governor of a state,” he said.
The Senator expressed that she does not believe that politics was a man’s world, adding: “what is on ground is not about men or women. It is about development; it is about inclusiveness; it is about wanting to serve our people.
“That is why I believe that coming into it is nothing spectacular, especially because I have been there before.
“This won’t be my first time. Nowadays, I hear stories that it isn’t time for women. I feel pained and insulted.
“So it wasn’t time for women when I became Commissioner for Works and Transport. It was also not time for women when I became Deputy Governor.
“It wasn’t time for women when I was elected into the House of Representatives. It was not time for women when I went to the Senate and became Deputy Minority Whip and also got re-elected into the senate”, she said.
According to Olujimi, it is because the governorship election has been taken beyond its scope that the issue of gender is being brought up with the intention of edging out women in the race.
“To me, it is about capability, competence and requisite knowledge and not about gender.
“For once, no woman has been there, except for Anambra when a woman inadvertently became an acting governor. So what is wrong in ensuring that there is inclusiveness? I believe I have what it takes to be governor of a state,” she said.
She emphasized the need for equity and justice displayed by all political parties fielding candidates for the election to pick from the southern zone which had never produced a governor since the return of democracy in 1999.
“I have never stopped saying that the southern zone has been badly marginalised. I have never stopped saying it. I have been behind the agitation for power shift to the zone.
“The reason is that if you are a true born of the zone and you see marginalisation going on, you either speak up or forever remain silent.
“There are three senatorial districts. From the northern part, Mr Segun Oni was there as governor for three and half years. Gov. Kayode Fayemi is about completing his eight-year tenure. If you add the two, they would have spent eleven and a half years.
“Also, if you come to the central zone, Chief Niyi Adebayo was there for four years, followed by Mr Ayodele Fayose, who spent roughly eight years, making it a total of 12 years. The south part has not done any. Why?
“If you don’t allow the south now, it means they will wait for another eight years before taking a shot at the governorship and the state would have existed democratically for 32 years without a southern governor,” she said.
Senator Biodun Olujimi projected that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could be defeated by PDP, if the party got it right in terms of choice of candidate.
FOR PUBLICATION, ADVERTS, ARTICLES & OPINION OR INQUIRIES, PLEASE CALL 08038472758, 08091010730 OR WHATSAPP
