…seeks wider political space for women
By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
The Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has thrown his weight behind the governorship aspiration of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, calling for increased inclusion of women in the political leadership of the state.
The monarch spoke after hosting Obasanjo at his palace in what he described as a private visit.
Akinyemi noted that Ogun State boasts a rich legacy of accomplished women and should not hesitate to offer them the opportunity to lead.
The monarch said, “whatever affects Ogun State affects Nigeria. If you look at the great women we have produced; the likes of Efunsetan Aniwura and Madam Efunroye Tinubu and even in contemporary times, you will see that Ogun is blessed with exceptional women”.
He also cited the Ogun State Chief Judge, Mosunmola Dipeolu, among other accomplished women, describing them as symbols of excellence and pride to the state.
He commended Obasanjo’s professional and political trajectory, recalling her tenure as Commissioner for Health in the State and later as a Senator of the Federal Republic. He equally lauded her philanthropic initiatives through the Iyanuwura Foundation, which he said made notable contributions to human capacity development in the State.
“The activities of the Iyanuwura Foundation are still fresh in our memory. She built human capacity across the state. She is a medical doctor by profession and a philanthropist. These are things that make us proud,” the monarch stated.
Akinyemi urged men to reassess what he described as the historically limited political space accorded to women.
“If somebody like her is willing to take the shot, we men should have a rethink and give women more room than we have been giving them. They will not see us as chauvinists,” he added.
Drawing parallels with global democratic practices, the monarch observed that women are not barred from occupying top political offices in Western democracies.
“Tell me, is there any position in the West that women cannot occupy? Some prime ministers are women. If not that Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump, the United States would have produced its first female president. We cannot ask women not to contest. It is a good development,” he said.
The monarch stressed that Obasanjo’s governorship ambition remained her constitutional right as a Nigerian citizen.
“We are traditional rulers; God knows tomorrow. We cannot erase the fact that she has every right to be governor. It is her civil right,” he said.
He, however, clarified that the visit was not for royal endorsement.
“She did not come for royal blessing. It was a private visit. At the appropriate time, she knows the appropriate place to go,” he added.
The monarch also canvassed political cooperation across Ogun’s senatorial districts, noting that aspirants from Ogun West had been engaging stakeholders in Ogun Central and other zones.
“We have to work together. Those contesting in Ogun West have been visiting people in Ogun Central. It is vice versa,” he said.
Obasanjo was accompanied on the visit by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Pastor Abiodun Ajayi, and Engr. Oluwatoyin Jokosenumi, the Bada of Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta.
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