The Women for 35% Initiative of AJU Morgan Elumelu Foundation strongly condemns the impeachment of Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen, the Executive Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, and the only female Local Government Chairman among the eight Local Government Areas in the state.
This development is deeply troubling, particularly given the events and reports that have surrounded her since the political transition in the state.
Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen was elected under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and sworn into office on May 29, 2024. She received a mandate from the people of Sagbama Local Government Area to serve them, and we believe that mandate deserves to be respected.
For some time now, we have been hearing disturbing stories and reports about Hon. Mrs. Allen allegedly being pushed around, intimidated, pressured and subjected to political harassment because of her refusal to defect from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
We did not rush to make public statements.
We watched.
We listened.
We patiently followed the situation to see how it would unfold, hoping that reason, dialogue and respect for democratic principles would prevail.
We had hoped that the matter would be resolved without the need for public confrontation. Unfortunately, the situation has now culminated in her impeachment.
Even more disturbing are reports that someone else has now been secretly sworn in as Acting Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area, Hon. Diepreye Rosline Yankee, who was elected as the Councillor and Leader of the House.
This raises serious concerns.
If an elected Local Government Chairman can be pressured to abandon the political party under which she was elected and subsequently face impeachment after refusing to do so, and if another person can then be secretly sworn in to occupy the position, then we must ask ourselves: What does this mean for the future of democracy and women’s participation in politics in Nigeria?
Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen is not merely a politician. She represents one of the very few women who have successfully broken through the enormous barriers that continue to keep women out of political leadership.
She is the only woman among the eight elected Local Government Chairmen in Bayelsa State.
That fact alone should concern every person who genuinely believes in women’s inclusion in governance.
For years, women have been encouraged to come forward, contest elections, seek leadership positions and participate actively in politics. But what happens when a woman actually wins?
What happens when she refuses to be politically intimidated?
What happens when she chooses to exercise her political freedom and remain with the party under which she was elected?
Must the price of a woman remaining in political leadership be intimidation, humiliation and eventual removal?
Women for 35% cannot remain silent.
Our campaign is not about supporting one political party against another. It is about protecting women’s participation in democracy. It is about ensuring that women who win elections are allowed to serve their mandates without being subjected to political coercion.
We therefore condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any act of intimidation, harassment, coercion or political victimization against Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen or any other woman in public office.
We call on all relevant authorities, democratic institutions, civil society organizations, women’s organizations and defenders of democracy to pay close attention to what has happened in Sagbama and to ensure that the rights and dignity of elected officials are protected.
We also urge all parties involved to pursue every available constitutional and legal avenue to address this matter peacefully and transparently.
The struggle for 35% affirmative action is not simply about getting women into political offices. It is about creating a political environment where women can enter, remain, lead and complete their mandates without intimidation or discrimination.
We will continue to ask:
Why are there so few women in political leadership?
And when the few who make it there are allegedly pushed around, pressured and eventually removed, what message are we sending to the next generation of women who want to lead?
Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen deserves the right to have her case treated fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law.
Women for 35% stands with every woman who dares to lead.
We will not be silent when women are intimidated for exercising their democratic rights.
We will not stop demanding a political system where women are not merely allowed to contest, but are respected when they win.
Women must not only be given a seat at the table. They must be allowed to remain at the table.
Signed
Amb. AJU Elumelu
Founder, AJU Morgan Elumelu Foundation
Convener, Women for 35% Initiative
Her Voice, Her Vote, Her Future.
