 It's still plus politics. Now, Senator Beaudon Olujimi, representing Akiti South's Senatorial District and the Senate in Aduakiti, indicated her interest to contest the state-governorship elections later for June 18, 2022. Olujimi and eight other women aspirants are among the 17 people who have so far obtained nomination forms and had been screened by the People's Democratic Party at the National Secretariat in Abuja. Joining us to discuss this is Akiti State Chairman Inter-Party Advisory Council, AIPAC, Ifedayo Ianiwura. Thank you very much, Mr Ianiwura, for joining us. All right. Well, let's start by looking at the fact that we have more women who are interested, who have thrown their hat into the ring to be part of the governorship elections in Akiti State. Over time, there have been cases where women have been begged to get involved in politics, but we seem to be seeing a U-turn in Akiti State. What would you say is responsible for that? Yes, what could have cost the increase in the number of women who are vying for the office of the governor? Oh, okay. Well, just like you know, the political game of our partnership and I must tell you that it's fantastic to see how women are showing more interest in that system right now. Just like you know that most of these political parties have rolled activities out, women are also outside right there, participating, also directly for tickets of governorship in Akiti State in these political parties. Right? For instance, now we have a party where we have about seven women already purchased their forms for the party tickets and sent to another kind of political party, in which we have about two or three women also already just sent for tickets. So they are part of their involvement as we speak right now is so fantastic and we made two. We are not ready for any discrimination of gender whatsoever. We are going to make the whole of the team a level playground. So and I must commend political parties as well. The political parties give room for this for us to be able to see. You know, it makes us to know that all the political parties give women their forms, your cognitions, utmost respect and above all, we are being taken authority in the scheme of things. For instance now, at every election, the amount a male contestant will pay for the male form is different from what a female contestant will pay. So all these are as well encouraging our women to give them quality. Really? So hold on. Did you say that the amount that the men would pay to pick up their tickets would be different from what the women are paying? Is that what you're saying? Yeah, I'm asking because I heard you say something like the amount of money that the women have to pay for their tickets would be different from what the men are paying. Is that what it is in Akiti State? Can you hear me? Well, you just said something about the amount of money that women pay for the tickets is different from that of the men. So I'm asking, is this what the parties are doing in Akiti State or is it what the parties do nationwide? Yeah, that's political. That's why it's, that's why it's in the heart of different parties. It's not a way of encouraging the women to join political parties and be able to get their money calling. Do more in particularities. And it is why these kinds are going to be given today. At every point of election, female protestants pay lesser than what the local system would pay. So we see that as an encouragement for them to come in and these are picking to almost all the political parties in the U.S. Okay, let me push you, Father. It's very interesting, like you said, it's fantastic that more women are throwing their hats into the ring. But does that also amount to the number of people who are going to stand by them? Because that's another problem. You can have this many women pushing and jostling for that office. But how good is their following? What is the strength that they bring to the party? Will we see a replication of women standing by this women and men also giving them their votes? Or are we just going to see the party foist a man over the heads of these many women? Well, if I hear you clearly, we're trying to call the strength of women in party politics. Yes. And how they are being accommodated by men in this party court. Well, let me tell you clearly that these women in party politics, if they have never been accommodated, they will never say they're gloomy right in the party. The number of women in party politics of today has now been more than the one they have in the party. This is because men accommodate them a lot. And there is a window frame of a court in today as well. If it's not fashionable, of course, you will not see them there. It also means, let's talk building is a collective responsibility of good gender. So it couldn't be a barrier to say somebody is a woman to relate to that for the presence to take a back seat. We all have a role to play, no respect for our gender. And we have come to realize these are party leaders. This is why we make sure that out in our women in politics, in our party court, a colleague needs to take them more ever than before. And we are feeling shocked now because in the part of what we see, you only have women as the supporters of women in politics or not. But now, women have put themselves out to undertake an election. Are you paying for nomination for that matter? But are women within the parties supporting those same women who are putting themselves forward for the office? Because yes, those women who are putting themselves forward might be as good as the men. But have they been able to win the confidence of both men and women in those parties to be able to line up behind them? This is my question. I'm saying as much as the parties are accommodating the women and giving them an opportunity, have these same women been able to gain the confidence of other party members, both male and female, to support them when the time comes? Well, actually pulling the game of numbers and talking about the establishment of yours in the house of the electorate, your chance as a woman to try helping the political party not to paint on your dick how good you are to the people. You know, it's a game where people decide to play. So nobody can impose anybody on anyone. But what matters most is if you believe what you are saying as a woman, you come up first and you see the end. You enjoy the support of both your whole men and men as well. So what matters most is what parties are trying to project now is we are abolishing this issue of discrimination between men and female when it comes to issue of party policy because we all are aware that we have our rules to play when it comes to issue of nature building. So it shouldn't be a barrier for one to be male or for one to be a female. What does that mean? It's also how to be observable to see how to move the national forward. And this is why we have always made sure and ensure that our women in party policy we always encourage them all. We are doing that, well, the level we have today now is an overwhelming amount of courage. But we're still working on modality. We make the policies more attractive for our women. Don't you say we will be seeing our men in politics? Okay. Finally, before I let you go, because we're out of time, I was at the Anambra elections and I noticed one thing that I noticed was that of all the people that, you know, were running for that particular office for governor, it was only the people's democratic party that had a running mate that was a woman. Every other person and every other party had male running mates. Every other governorship candidate on the different parties had male running mates. It was just the people's democratic party. And now in the state the PDP has already recorded eight women who have thrown their hearts into the ring. Could what happened in Anambra be a representation of what the political parties in Nigeria think of women? Because on paper, even you are trying to be very diplomatic about this. But in reality, the realities that we see every single day in this country, do women stand a chance even if they are pushed till tomorrow in the political parties? Will we not see men emerge again as the flag bearers without a woman on that ticket? Can you hear me? Ifedaya, can you hear me? Oh, I think that we have lost our connection. But Ifedaya is, Iyanawura is of IPAC in equity state. Apologies for that disconnection there. But thank you all for staying with us. It's been cross politics. We'll see you tomorrow. And thank you all for watching. I am Mary Anacone. Have a good evening.