A fair and credible election, enabled by technology, is my expectation at this critical point in our political development. I pray and hope that we will get it right this time, so that we can begin our journey to greatness in earnest.

Whoever is judged the best by the people should emerge victorious through a fair and credible process. This is my irreducible minimum expectation. Improved knowledge, education, capacity and skill by the female folks in the past 20 – 30 years, should reflect across all strata of governance.

If elective positions are a bit of a tall order, appointive positions need not be.

I am a pragmatic person and I do appreciate the drawbacks on the path of my gender in an evolving democracy like ours.

Regardless, we have seen women with stellar attributes for instance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Dr (Mrs) Awosika , Ms. Arunma Oteh, Dr. Amina Mohammed, Dr. Zainab Gimba, Engr. Esther Gonda, Amina Maina among others. We need to bring more of their kind into the public service delivery equation in Nigeria.

Much more than that, we need to pay attention to the issues of gender equity, diversity and inclusion in the governance business.
These are the prayers or demands (if you will) of female folks.

Women are working harder than ever before, to to be relevant and to be counted on merit.

They are getting more educated and they are honing their skills. Women are also proclaiming their presence and demonstrating their competence across virtually all disciplines.

Bills are also being sponsored by them at the National Assembly to ensure more participation and opportunities. This is not about competition; it’s about collaboration and putting all hands on deck in our nation- building effort.

Gender parity is the ideal state (equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender. Economic participation and decision-making inclusive). Gender equity (the process of being fair to men and women) is most desired.