Renowned activist and social crusader, Aisha Yesufu, has called on the leadership of the newly formed political coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to ensure that women and youths are not relegated to mere symbolic roles as the movement gains momentum.
In a passionate public statement on Wednesday, Yesufu criticized what she described as “tokenistic positions” being traditionally reserved for women and youths, such as the roles of Women Leader and Youth Leader, without real access to decision-making power.
“You see this table full of older generation men, cannot be the only ones allowed to make the decisions as we go on! Women and Youth must be in the midst of decision-making and not as afterthoughts in the form of tokenism,” she said.
She urged the coalition to lead by example by placing competent women and young people at the core of its leadership structure, policy direction, and delegate representation, rather than limiting them to ceremonial roles.
Speaking directly to Nigerian women and youths, Yesufu made a strong rallying call for active participation and leadership in the political process.
“This is the time for the numbers you have to be heard loud and clear. JOIN! Be part of the leadership! Be part of the delegates! Be part of floor members. Overwhelm for good! Bring in ideas from out of the box,” she stated.
