By Abimbola Ajayi
Women leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have called for stronger grassroots mobilisation and greater inclusion of women in the party’s activities ahead of future elections.
The National Speaker of the SDP Women Parliament, Ambassador Sa’adatu Abdullahi, made the call at a strategic meeting with state women leaders in Abuja.
Abdullahi said women needed to build functional structures across states, wards and communities to increase their participation and influence in the party and the wider political space.
She said political success required organisation, strategy, commitment and sustained engagement with voters at the grassroots.
The meeting, she added, was aimed at assessing the party’s women structures, identifying gaps and developing strategies to take the SDP’s message to communities across the country.
“We need to assess where we are, identify our weaknesses, strengthen our structures and develop practical strategies for taking the SDP message to every ward, community and household,” she said.
Abdullahi urged state women leaders to work collectively and put aside differences that could undermine the party’s structures.
She also commended the leaders for their sacrifices, particularly those who travelled to Abuja at their own expense to attend the meeting.
She urged them to return to their states and implement the resolutions reached at the meeting.
“Our strength is in our unity, our power is in our organisation, and our weapon is our determination. We must organise, mobilise and deliver results,” she said.
The SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, represented by the South-South Deputy National Chairman, Sen. Ugochukwu Uba, pledged greater inclusion of women in the party.
Gombe said the party was undergoing reforms and reorganisation to strengthen its structures ahead of future political activities.
He said the SDP would seek to increase women’s participation in party activities, political appointments and elections.
According to him, the party’s forthcoming manifesto will outline its policies across sectors, including measures to promote women’s participation and inclusion.
Gombe said the SDP remained committed to the welfare of Nigerians and the principles contained in Chapter Two of the Constitution.
He urged the women leaders to sustain grassroots mobilisation and prepare more women for active participation in the party’s future campaigns and activities.
