By Kunle SHONUGA
The Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Oyo State chapter, on Saturday in Ibadan, sensitised Muslim women in purdah on their rights to participate in the 2019 general elections.
At the advocacy program organised by the association, the state Amirah of FOMWAN, Alhaja Simiat Ogundiran, said it was wrong for women in purdah to think voting was unnecessary for them.
According to her, most women in purdah believe it is not necessary for them to vote because their husbands are taking care of them.
“Yet, everyone, including women in purdah should be aware that every citizen has the right to vote, irrespective of religion or ethnic background,” she said.
According to her, the population of women in Nigeria is huge, as such they should all turn out to vote for their candidates.
“INEC has noticed that most women in purdah don’t vote during the election because they don’t want to open their faces for male INEC ad hoc staff.
“INEC do not want to prevent anyone from voting and has, therefore, made arrangement by ensuring that female INEC ad hoc staff are on ground to attend to women in purdah during elections,” Ogundiran said.
FOMWAN National Vice President, Alhaja Rofiat Sanni, said the association, being the mouthpiece of Muslim women, saw the need to sensitise women on their right to vote and make right decisions to avoid future regrets.
“If a right leader is elected, women have the chances of benefiting immensely, but if a bad leader is elected, women are the ones to suffer a lot,” she said.
She, therefore, urged women, especially Muslim women in purdah, to participate fully in the elections.
In her lecture, Alhaja Khadijat Busari, urged the women not to allow any politician to induce them with gifts.
Busari advised them not to sell their votes, saying doing so would amount to selling their future and that of their children.
One of the participants at the program, Mrs Sakirat Oladipupo, said the sensitisation had positively changed her orientation on women in purdah participating in elections.
“I didn’t have the intention of voting before, but with this enlightenment, I will participate by voting,” Oladipupo said.——-NAN
