Civil society organisations (CSOs), women advocacy groups and activists on Tuesday protested in Abuja, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Hon. Alice Tangi Allen.
The protest and press conference were convened by the Aju Morgan Elumelu Foundation, in collaboration with other CSOs and women advocacy groups under the Women for 35% initiative.
The protesters, armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Respect the mandate, stop the intimidation,” “Alice Allen remains our elected Bayelsa Sagbama LGA Chairman,” “Secret swearing-in is null and void in Bayelsa Sagbama LGA,” and “Bayelsa Sagbama LGA decided, you cannot overrule,” demanded that Allen be restored to office.
The protesters described Allen’s removal as an injustice and an attack on democracy, women’s participation in political leadership and the mandate given to her by the people of Sagbama.
Speaking at the event, the CEO of the Aju Morgan Elumelu Foundation, Aju Elumelu, said the campaign was not about partisan politics but about protecting women’s right to participate meaningfully in political leadership.
She noted that Allen was the only elected female local government chairman in Bayelsa State and only the second woman to have occupied the position in the state’s history.
“When a woman wins an election, her mandate must be respected,” Elumelu said, calling for any allegations against Allen to be investigated and for due process to be followed.
She also expressed concern over reports that Allen was pressured to defect from her political party and faced removal for refusing to do so.
“If an elected woman was pressured to defect from her political party to another party or face impeachment, then every Nigerian who believes in democracy should be concerned,” she said.
Elumelu further called for respect for court orders and cautioned against the use of security agencies to intimidate elected officials, saying, “Security agencies should protect democracy, not become instruments of political intimidation.”
Also lending her voice to the campaign, Ambassador Dr. Nana Aisha Mahmoud, DNC of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), expressed solidarity with the protesters, stressing that the issue went beyond party politics and concerned democracy, the rule of law and women’s participation in political leadership.
She called for Allen’s immediate reinstatement, insisting that elected officials should not be removed because of their political convictions or refusal to succumb to political pressure.
Speaking at the event, Allen explained that she was removed from office because she refused to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party following the political realignment in Bayelsa State.
“Not because I committed a crime, not because I did anything wrong. It is just because I don’t want to defect to another political party,” she said.
Allen also stated that her removal was carried out despite a court order and that she was removed during a midnight exercise involving security personnel.
“When people get their restraining order, they went ahead and still removed me from office,” she alleged.
The suspended chairman said her experience was an injustice and appealed to Nigerians, Bayelsans and the international community to speak out, while linking her experience to the wider challenges faced by women in Nigerian politics.
Other CSO representatives, women leaders and activists present at the event also jointly called for Allen’s immediate reinstatement, stressing that her removal should not undermine women’s participation in political leadership or the democratic mandate of the people of Sagbama.
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly had earlier approved the removal of Allen and her Vice Chairman, Sufade Jefferson Tobi, following allegations of gross misconduct. The Assembly said the action followed allegations including failure to present monthly financial briefings and the annual budget before expenditure, as well as failure to honour invitations by the legislature.
Allen and her supporters have rejected the stated grounds for her removal, maintaining that the action was politically motivated.
The protesters urged the relevant authorities to respect the rule of law, uphold the people’s mandate and ensure that women who attain political office through legitimate elections are allowed to serve without intimidation or political coercion.
By Ajiri Daniels
