Hon. Yemisi Afolabi Advocates Increased Female Representation in Nigerian Politics

Hon. Yemisi Afolabi Advocates Increased Female Representation in Nigerian Politics

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

A prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former state Woman Leader in Ekiti State PDP, Hon. Yemisi Afolabi, has called for greater representation of women in Nigerian politics.

In this interview with NATIONAL PERISCOPE, she emphasized, among other things, the need for deputy governorship seats to be reserved for women by law, arguing that such measures are essential for fostering gender equality in political leadership.

Can we meet you?
My name is Hon. Yemisi Afolabi.
I’m the former State Woman Leader of PDP in Ekiti State during His Excellency, former governor, Ayodele Fayose’s regime. Presently, I’m the State Coordinator of S.H.E Campaign Ekiti State Chapter.

I have served the party in so many capacities, both at the state level and at the national level to the glory of God Almighty. During the last presidential election I served in three committees. I was in the Contact and Mobilization committee. I also served at the Protocol and Venue Committee.

Have you ever at any point joined any other party apart from the Peoples Democratic Party?

Not at all

So can we call you a loyalist of the Peoples Democratic Party?
Yes

When did you join PDD?

I joined PDP in 1998 when they first brought it to Ekiti and I was contributing my own quota at that time. but people don’t really know because of my kind of person, I’m a silent operator when I’m doing my things. Also, I didn’t see the reason to come out openly to identify with any political party as at that time, I only joined because that is where my father is.

My father is a leader in our local government. I’ve always loved helping people and God put it in me that if I really want to help people, one of the easiest ways for me to achieve that is by identifying with a political party and because my father is already a member, that made it very easy for me to join the Peoples Democratic Party as at that time.

Whenever my father is going for any meeting, he would always bring me along with him. At times, I don’t feel comfortable because I was almost the youngest in most of the meetings I usually accompanied my father to attend. I would just be there and be looking at what they are doing as an observer. I think that has really helped me a lot.

What actually motivated you into politics?

That time. I just had the passion of doing politics firstly because I love the way people gathered together to make things happen. Luckily for me the opportunity to serve my people came up in 2015 to serve my people in the capacity of a State Woman Leader by the former governor Ayedele Fayose.

Then I was still working as a civil servant but had to resign my appointment from the system and joined politics. I’ve been a lover of politics since 1998 but was called to serve fully in 2015 and I give God the glory for that. There was never a time I regretted being a politician or joining PDP.

Being called upon to occupy a position as powerful as a Woman Leader of a party at state level must be that you are very strong politically or you have a connection with someone who is very strong. Can we say you leveraged your Daddy’s political influence or you are that strong on your own as at that time the appointment came?

I will say that both really helped because before I was called upon to be the State Woman Leader, whatever they are doing in my party most especially in my local government, I always make sure I’m involved in my own little way. Whatever they are doing, my dad would always carry me along and I will send whatever I can afford as at that time to make sure that things are done the way they should be done.

And as of that time, I have some of my friends that knew about my capacity, they were aware of what I was doing then and some of my people in my home town because my local government is a one town local government. So if I say my local government or my town, I still mean the same thing, So all of this put together has really helped.

Then, I was doing my own not because I wanted any political appointment but was preparing myself ahead. I know, one day, I’m going to serve under PDP but I never knew it would come that quick. My father being a prominent figure in politics was an added advantage for me. My message is that whatever you are doing, do it well and just keep being yourself, people are watching.

You can never tell when the reward will come, and that was exactly what happened in my own case. I love PDP with passion. So I was always available for any programme they are doing, any activity they are doing. There was a time they were having an election and my younger brother was asking me, are you a politician or a civil servant because I don’t understand you.

You have your people in nearly all the local governments. I was calling people from one local government to the other. And mind you, I was not the State Woman Leader as at then, I was still a civil servant. So if they are doing any programme, or if there is going to be any campaign I will do a vigorous campaign for my party. I was doing it because number one, I love doing it, I enjoyed doing it and I wanted to make a mark.

I just wanted to do my things differently and at the end of the day it worked. So that was what happened then.

For the past few years that you have been in politics, what are the challenges you have faced as a woman in politics? Especially when you were a woman leader in PDP compared to the challenges men face, what are those challenges that are so peculiar, so unique to women in Politics?

The number one challenge I faced or women are facing in politics is that men see us as wanting to struggle their territory with them.
So whenever you want your voice to be heard, they tag you as being too stubborn or you are doing something that is not meant to be, not for you.

This is a man’s world. What do you know? How do you think they are doing it, this and that. So even when you say something reasonable, they still look at you disdainfully, like is she not a woman? For the fact that you are a woman, they may decide to discard your idea.

To them, it is a man-dominant institute that is not meant for women. Women are to be in the kitchen, remain in the background, our voice is not to be heard. This is a big challenge. I faced those hurdles when I first came on board but as time went on, they saw reasons to allow us to make our own contribution.

As a woman, we know what is going wrong in the society more than men. An average woman is more sensitive to her environment than men. So, they have to allow us to contribute our own quota to nation building in order to strike a balance. There is something God has deposited in us, they need to give us the platform to express it to move the country forward because the country must not remain the same. Look at the national assembly, out of the 109 senators of the house, we have just four. No matter how brilliant and active they are, there is nothing they can say, men would always suppress them because of the gap in the number.

When I was the Woman Leader, I was the only female amongst the 14 members of the State Executive Committee for the party. It was tough. When I was given the appointment, I listed some things I wanted to do. There was a time my chairman called me and said, I hope you won’t hijack this party from me? Because I always had activities lined up with the permission of the governor then. Just give me the go ahead to do it, and I was doing it.

Today, I feel so blessed and fulfilled because those things I did then really helped me, our women, men and the society at large. There are some things that we women do unconsciously that are giving us problems with men. Men needed to be pet, adored and appreciated. You swallow your ego to conquer them. A woman once told me her marriage was over 25 years, yet she has never enjoyed her husband but out of the little tips I taught the women then, she put it into practice and the results yielded positively.

She never knew all along that the only thing her husband wanted from her was just to respect him. According to her, she would wake up in the morning and just go on her knees to greet the husband cheerfully. Consequently, her husband who she has never enjoyed bought her plots of land, sent her on vacations and some other things just by greeting him with respect and praying for him. That’s one of the best ways to have your way with men. It’s just common sense.

So those are the things I was telling our women. Then I told them that you have to be doing something for yourself. If your husband sees you that you are not a total liability in the family, directly or indirectly, he will respect you.
But you want to buy salt, you wait until daddy is around. You have visitors, you wait until daddy is around or maybe your husband’s relations are around, you run to a corner to put a call through to your husband in a low voice that Mama Lagbaja is around, there is nothing in the house, we should work on all those things.

I can see you are even a marriage counselor. I came across one of your videos on YouTube where you talked about marital issues. I took my time to watch it from beginning to the end because it was such an interesting one. My question is, do you think marriage is a barrier to a woman’s political career?

This is my first edition of Home Front in 2007. (Pointing to a jotter). It’s a magazine Television program being aired on Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation. It has 3 segments, all revolving around marriage.

Now back to your question, marriage is not and should not be a barrier to a woman’s political career. As a matter of facts, as a woman, before you even go into politics, put your home in order. If you succeed maritally, you will succeed anywhere.

Will you attribute some of the challenges we are having in our political landscape to insufficient number of female representation in politics? And what do you think women can bring on board if we have more of them in politics?

The first one you said is the number one factor. We don’t have enough female representatives in our political sector.
And I think the reason for that is, even those who are there, are they mentoring anybody? Some will tell you they have been senators for the past 16 years. Yet, they cannot point to a single soul they have mentored to the position of a member of the state house of assembly not to talk of the House of Representatives.

You see some of them, when they call for this position, you would see their name there, another one, you see their name. They want to be everywhere. That to me is selfishness. I’ve said it in most of my interviews some time ago that now they are young, they can move around anyhow. A time is coming, if the society or the system does not retire them, age will retire them, health challenges are another factor that will retire them, then they will know why it’s always good to invest in the younger generation and failure to do it then come the havoc they have caused themselves. It’s not about the society.

Some of the things that I’m doing today, I would not have thought of it if I’m being mentored by somebody. Maybe by now, I’ll still be carrying bags. But when there is nobody to mentor, I have to mentor myself. I have to face everything squarely.

At times I make mistakes, very big ones but one thing about me is when I make mistakes, I move on. I don’t dwell much on my mistakes. I just believe those are the parts of the sacrifice I have to make before getting to the top.
I know getting to a very big position politically will not come cheap, it will not come easily. You fall, rise, you fall, rise like a baby that is just learning how to walk. I’m still learning. So there is room for me to fall. What made me fall yesterday is most likely not going to make me fall today. I must have learned one or two lessons.

That is what we are talking about. However, not every woman has my kind of heart. Most people need proper mentoring. That’s what I’m appealing to our female political leaders as a matter of necessity to make time to mentor the upcoming female politicians. Female politicians should adopt this style, otherwise, we’ll still be having a very limited number of women.

Can we say that it is because an average woman is jealous of a younger lady?
More often than not, they see younger ladies as a threat and as people who are just coming out to steal their show.

You are very correct. I think it’s part of it but to me, I see it as a complex. If I see younger women, I feel so happy and blessed. I don’t see younger women as a threat at all. It has never crossed my mind.

When I was the state woman leader, I was always pleading with the governor to help our women in one way or the other. When we were having primary elections, I rallied around my governor and some of our leaders. They helped me to have a female executive chairman at the local government.

The first term and the second term. Then the last one, through the help of the governor too, I had six Executive vice Chairmen of local government that are women and they performed excellently.

Today I don’t think most of them have my number but that’s not my problem. The good thing is, God used me to help them politically. I used to tell people, I don’t do things because I want you to reciprocate. I do things because I have the grace, the opportunity to do it and some of the things that make me happy is helping people, it gives me joy. When you say, “thank you for yesterday, if not because of God and you..”, you have really made my day. But our female political leaders would say when you give young women the opportunity, they will outshine them. It’s a lie, you cannot outshine me because I remain myself.

What impact do you think increased female representation will have in society? If we have more women, let’s say in the State House of Assembly, and the National Assembly, and others, what impact do you think it will have?
It will have a lot of great and positive impacts in society.

Number one, you know, the major problem we are having in this country is finance. If women are given opportunities in politics, whether elective or appointments, there will be financial empowerment for them. They will be able to help their immediate family first, that will earn them respect from their spouses, from their children, from their relations.

When a woman is financially empowered, the family and the society at large will feel it because of our caring nature. As a woman That can save a home even if you are going through a turbulent time.

In my street where I used to live before, if for instance, I see you selling okra in that vicinity, I will go and meet you. Madam, this okra you are selling is very fresh, I like it. Like how much do you run the business with? If you tell me it’s just N1,500, I can give you N3,000 to start with but don’t tell me you spend the money on any other thing. You have to sustain this business. If by tomorrow, I want their support politically like, this is my candidate, I want you to vote for him or her. The woman will know that my sister who just saw me on the streets could do this for me, if I should vote for her candidate, if there is a bigger opportunity, she will remember me. Gba fun Muri l’oko, ohun ni gba fun Gbada ni’le (Rob my back, I rob your back).

You have to first of all be doing all those things, have influence. Unfortunately, our leaders have failed us countless times.

Then one more thing that is giving us problem as a woman in politics is when we want to belong by all means, we want to show we are the ones who are there, of which we don’t really need to. As for me, I don’t want to belong, if you say I’m a good person, good and fine. If you say that I’m bad, that’s the way you see me.

We should first of all be ourselves. At every point in time, be yourself first. Then all other things will take shape.

Was there a time that being a woman has ever been a challenge for your political career? Like, a time you felt that had it been I’m a man, I would have had my way here but because you’re a woman, you couldn’t have your way. Was there ever a time like that?

In all sincerity, if I would not be an ingrate, the best thing that has ever happened to me politically is being a woman. It has always been a key that opens doors. It has never been a limitation.

But this is the same thing that has been limiting a lot of women.

A lot of people but for me, it has been a key.

Can we say you play your game better?

It’s God

What specific policies do you think can be put in place to have more women in politics?

If I understand that question properly, the number one thing I will agitate for is in every political setting, let’s start from the governorship election in every state. They should make it a priority that all their deputies should be female. Let’s start from there. Some of our women who are leaders may not like this, but we should start from somewhere.

That is number one, if I have my way, I’ll first of all pray that all deputy governors should be female statutorily. That doesn’t mean that the women too cannot go for governorship because it happened while I was the state woman leader, in one of the local governments, the chairman there was a woman, the vice chairman too, a woman.

What I’m trying to say in essence is that it’s not limiting our female not to aspire to be governor, it has no limitation.

As a matter of fact, when you empower someone to the point of becoming deputy governor, you have actually raised her and if she can manage it well, she can leverage the position and become a governor.

So aside that, what other policies will you advocate for?

Then mentoring of young female politicians should be given more priority.
Let’s say, for example, as a national woman leader, it must be a compulsory assignment for you to make sure that if they are going to build a school, if there is going to be a committee, there should be something that should be put in place for mentorship of younger female aspiring politicians.

By then it will be easy, they will learn from there. They will know how to make their voice to be heard. I told you, as the only female in the PDP state executive then, there was nothing they would do that they would not involve me. Even while I was abroad, they always say, ah, you know, woman leader, that one, she’s not a woman again, she’s a man. So let’s accommodate her interest.

Moving to the home front. One of the reasons women run away from politics is the challenges involved in managing their home with the political career. How do you balance family responsibilities and politics as a woman? Particularly, how are you navigating between the two in a society like ours?

The first thing is to join politics early, if possible like I did. However, there are some things you won’t involve yourself in, like taking up appointments or contesting for any elective position. Maybe you still have your children in nursery school and you want to go and aspire for house of assembly, house of reps. It may not really augur well.

I don’t know how you can strike that balance but when your children get to a certain stage. I used to tell people, you cannot give what you don’t have. You cannot. You may have elderly people that can help you to look after your children but that elderly woman will always inculcate what she knows from her own family background that will be different from your own background and that will affect the growing up of those kids.

And at the end of the day it will bring about problems in the society. So you can join politics, be learning it, see how they are doing it and at the end of the day when you see that yes, I can leave home for a couple of days and it will not affect my family, then I can say now I’m ready, I want to contest for this, I’m ready for this appointment, this and that. Just set your priority right.

Then number two, there has to be understanding between yourself and your spouse.Your husband must see you as somebody that will not go out there to destroy the love that you people share in the family. There are some women, when they have little change like this, it’s that money, that power, that position that will now be controlling them. They would have forgotten where they are coming from.

The husband will now be somebody that they cannot be proud of. Level has changed, so it’s part of the problems that we are facing as women that are affecting our family. Some of these men, they know their wives, they know that if they are given the opportunity to excel, they won’t be able to curtail them again. Or better still, manage them. My husband doesn’t control me but he manages me very well. Because you cannot do it alone. It’s only God that can help you. So you have to set your priorities right. If my husband allows me to do this, will I use it to promote the unity and love between us or destroy it?

Is there any support you are getting at the home front that has really helped you politically?

First, I give glory to God Almighty for giving me the kind of man I married as a husband. After God, he’s my number one support. My husband would always tell me, baby you can do it. I know you will do it. He’s always encouraging me. Likewise my children. My children would say, my mommy can do it. You know, at times when I make mistakes, they will say, you made a mistake but that’s why you are human now. They will not make you feel bad. Instead they will encourage you.

My siblings, they are wonderful, my parents, they always pray for me every day that politically you’ll be great. You know, it has been a tremendous experience for me and I give God glory all the time.

With the look of things, do you see things changing positively in terms of female representation in Nigeria politics in the next few years? Do you see more women coming into politics? Or the status quo may likely remain for long?

That question is a very difficult one because with what I’m seeing, the representation we had in the national assembly in the previous administration was more than what we have now. It’s decreasing.

Although I am not a pastor, I deal with things, the way I see it. The people up there are not helping matters. If we don’t mentor, there is no way you will be able to see more representatives, there is no magic, there is no miracle.

You cannot build something over nothing.
You just have to give room for things to follow. Whatever you are doing, there has to be that synergy. In our political setting, something usually happens which will continue to bring about problems for our females. When you are serving, they will call you for all sorts of programs, immediately you are no more there, they will be relating with those who are in power.

Meanwhile, some of our leaders. I’m not talking about myself or my party now because God has really blessed me.There is little difference from when we were in government and now. God has given me the opportunity to remain relevant. It may not be the same for everybody, so I will call my own grace and I return glory to God Almighty.
However, I must add this, men will not willingly give room for women in politics. It’s the women that will do it. Our women political leaders too have a great role to play as I’ve said earlier. I’m not saying this to disparage them but those are the things we need to do to bring more women on board.

Another thing I will add is, women should please learn to manage well whatever opportunity given to us in politics. By doing so, they are creating more opportunities for other women as that will help us to build people’s trust and confidence in us. In my own case, immediately they gave me that post, I began to see myself as “former”. I didn’t allow the position to get into my head. I was doing everything with the consciousness that power is transient. He who is conscious of the fact that power is transient stays longer in power.

Alright, let’s talk about your party. A lot of things are going on currently in the party. Recently the Lagos state governorship candidate of the party in the last general election decamped. Besides that, a lot of other cross carpeting is going on. Infact, I call it the season of defection. What do you think is going on? Are you considering moving to another party too? Maybe to APC, being the party in power at the central and in your state?

That question is a big and tasking one. As regards Hon. Janjor that just defected to APC, I will not blame him. There was a time somebody was asking me, “Are you supporting people that are decamping?”

It’s not really nice for you to condemn the actions of an adult. I don’t really like things like that. Like I said earlier, I have done some things that I later regretted. It happened because I’m an adult. Nobody pushed me to do that, I don’t believe anybody can push me to do anything. Whatever I do now, I take responsibility for that. So, he has a reason why he decamped because he’s an adult.

And talking about if I want to still remain in PDP, yes, I am still in PDP 100%.

If you look at it, even someone we can refer to as your political godfather, the former governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose is one leg in APC, the other leg in PDP. How do you see that?

My former Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose is an adult. He has seen it all. He said he’s in PDP but he believes in the capacity of the incumbent governor, Governor Abiodun Oyebanji. That is his choice.

Recently you said the issues with PDP in Ekiti, that the former governor is not the problem. So what or who do you think is the problem with the Ekiti State chapter of PDP currently? You know he contributed to why PDP lost Ekiti in the last governorship election.

Yes. There’s no doubt about that but that’s his choice. Again, he’s just a member of PDP just like everyone else. He’s just one person and he has made his point clear enough that whatever you want to do, I’m going to support this person. So the rest of us that claim we are PDP come what may, what are we doing to keep the party flying.

Today, you see some of our leaders, working secretly with the governor and they are still in the PDP, they claim they are leaders but are busy applying divide and rule approach. They say they are leaders. If they see me tomorrow with Oyebanji, maybe taking pictures or dining and winning together, they will say I’m doing anti-party but if it were the other way round it is normal and fine.

If you say you are in PDP, stick to that PDP, support PDP in the morning, in the afternoon, in the night in your actions and inactions.
So former Governor Fayose said, okay, I’m in PDP, I remain in PDP but I love this guy so much. He’s my person. The rest of us that believe that though he’s our person too but we still believe the party comes first, what are we doing?

2026 is almost here. Do you see PDP coming back in Ekiti State?

Yes, we are coming back. It doesn’t really matter. When God says I’m here, there is nothing you can do.

Are you contesting?

For now, I don’t see myself contesting for any political post but that doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind. If I look at the permutation of everything and I see that I have a chance. Why not? I have paid my dues.

What message do you have for younger ladies out there who are aspiring to go into politics? What steps can they take today to prepare for a future in public service?

The number one thing I would tell our young aspiring female politicians is that politics is sweet. It’s as sweet as honey but it’s very tasking.

You have to be prepared. You have to be determined and above all, you have to be yourself because if you are not yourself, politics will change you to who you are not. But if you are yourself, if you really know what you are doing, Politics is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wake up in the morning, see myself as Hon. Yemisi. I feel happy because it has opened so many doors for me. It may not necessarily be financially. There are so many things involved.

When you are new in politics, don’t be too money conscious. Think of what you can do to better the society. When you have something you can offer, people will look for you. It might be a bit challenging, but at the end of the day, it will really be worth the effort.

So that is how politics is. When you are coming to join, you want to make money, you want to be known, you want to be famous, you want to be this and that. That will make you want to belong. By trying to belong, you involve yourself in some dirty things that at the end of the day won’t lead you anywhere.

By trying to belong you’ll be so desperate. It is that desperation that will make you do all sorts of unthinkable things and at the end of the day, that thing you are agitating for, you will not get it because they have seen you finish.

What legacy would you like to be remembered for in politics?

In politics? That there used to be one Honorable Yemisi Afolabi that believed so much in herself as a woman and believed that women can do better in politics, if given the opportunity and people cannot give you the opportunity, except you give yourself. You take it, not by force, you take it through prior preparation.

When you are prepared. Former governor Fayose would say Yemisi knows what she’s doing. Give her any assignment, she will deliver.