Ogun deputy gov, First Lady demand more appointments for women

Wife of the governor of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, the deputy governor, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele and others at the Ogun State Political Women Stakeholders' Forum held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta on Tuesday. CREDIT: Bankole Taiwo

The Ogun State Government has called on the incoming administration in the state to ensure greater inclusion of women in political appointments and leadership positions, saying their contributions to the success of political parties should be matched with adequate representation in governance.

The call was made on Tuesday in Abeokuta by the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, at the Ogun State Political Women Stakeholders’ Forum, organised by the state’s First Lady, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun.

Speaking on the theme, “Stronger Together: Women Unite for Victory, One Woman, Ten Votes,” Salako-Oyedele urged women to look beyond vote mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections and demand opportunities that would guarantee their meaningful participation in governance.

She noted that women had remained actively involved in the activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), contributing to the party’s growth from the ward level to local governments and the state, but often received inadequate recognition for their efforts.

She said, “We have heard from everybody who was here speaking that women do a lot and they have their grind, but we do not get enough recognition. It is not a zero-sum game; it is not us versus the men. We are just asking for a fairer share of things.”

The deputy governor acknowledged Governor Dapo Abiodun’s contributions to women’s development through initiatives such as the Okowo Dapo empowerment programmes and political appointments, urging the incoming administration to sustain and improve on the achievements.

She also expressed confidence in the APC governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, and his running mate, urging women to work towards securing victory for the party in the 2027 elections.

However, she advised women not to restrict their demands to political appointments but also to address pressing community concerns, including unemployment, poor roads, markets and schools.

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She urged them to serve as a bridge between their communities and political leaders by communicating residents’ concerns and ensuring that such issues received attention under the next administration.

Also speaking, the Ogun State First Lady and convener of the forum, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, urged women to translate their numerical strength and grassroots influence into political power ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on the theme, “Stronger Together: Women United for Victory,” she stressed the need for women to move beyond being passive supporters and become active participants in shaping political decisions and electoral outcomes.

She urged them to embrace unity and mobilise support for APC candidates, setting a target of 10 individual votes for every woman.

“Every woman here must become a high-impact ambassador for APC. One woman, ten individual votes. Do not speak to 10 people; win them over, mobilise them and lead them to the polls for APC,” Abiodun said.