NIGER/NIGERIA: Aspirant Predicts Emergence of Woman as President

An aspirant to the Niger State House of Assembly and former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Niger State, Mrs. Elizabeth Lami Makama, has predicted the emergence of a female president for Nigeria in the future.

Makama, who is contesting on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), bared her mind on the unfolding political scenario in Nigeria, saying she is sensing the possibility of Nigerians to clamour for a change in baton of leadership from men.

“It is possible that Nigeria could have a woman president in the nearest future. If other countries of the world, including Liberia has a female President in the person of Ellen Johnson, why not Nigeria,” she queried.

Advising women to support their female aspirants at all levels, Makama argued that “Most women, who occupied positions in the past and even in the present day have not done badly. In fact they have become role models and have proved to be better managers than their men counterpart.”

The former commissioner who however was quick to add that she is not in anyway campaigning for the upstaging of President Goodluck Jonathan to give way for a female president argued that women have proved their worth in managing homes.

According to Makama, “Women as good managers of the home can as well translate their God-given skills when managing a larger society like Nigeria if given the opportunity to do so”. Makama, a retired principal, who had served in a number of schools in Niger State before venturing into politics, said women need encouragement and support to contribute to the development of the country.

“The President of Liberia, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a woman like me and she is not doing badly in trying to restore that country to what it used to be in the past and there are other countries of the world that women are in control of power and so I for-see a female President of Nigeria in the nearest future”, Makama said. Commending Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu for giving more women the opportunity to serve in his cabinet, Makama however said she subscribed to the economic empowerment of Nigerian women for them to be self-reliant and less dependent on the men.