In a press conference held in Lokoja, Hajia Mariam Salihu, the women leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, made a heartfelt plea to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. She urged them to utilize their esteemed positions to put an end to the politically motivated killings of women in the state.
Highlighting the plight of women in opposition parties, Salihu expressed their constant fear and vulnerability as targets of political thugs in Kogi. She recalled the tragic 2019 incident where the women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Salome Abuh, was not only attacked but also burnt alive in her own home. The recent killing of another woman in Koton Karfe by political thugs further emphasized the urgent need for action.
Furthermore, Salihu, who was formerly affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, lamented the hardship faced by women in opposition parties. Out of fear for their safety, they are unable to actively campaign for their preferred candidates.
Salihu called upon both national and international women organizations to stand in solidarity with the women of Kogi and offer their support in this critical time.
During her address, Salihu emotionally stated, “As a woman and a mother, it is heart-wrenching to witness our people running aimlessly without protection. I take this opportunity to appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come to our aid in Kogi State. The situation for women in Kogi has become unbearable. I watched a distressing video this morning showing the chaos in Ejule and Ajaka. I couldn’t hold back my tears.”
Salihu continued, “I recall when I served as the Director of Women Mobilization for Tinubu in this same office, alongside our principal Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka. We campaigned tirelessly for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergence as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and no one chased us away. It was an open playing field. But today, we live in fear and cannot freely campaign.”
Appealing to the wider audience, she added, “I also implore all women organizations within Nigeria and abroad to lend their support to the women of Kogi State. Violence against women poses a grave threat to the integrity of the election process. Please, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, kindly come to our aid. We are suffering. Our women can no longer fulfill their duties.”
She directed her attention to the First Lady, stating, “Our esteemed mother, Remi Tinubu, I campaigned and advocated for your husband during the 2023 presidential election when I was a member of the APC. Now, I question what has changed? I have not even asked why my name was omitted from that ministerial appointment. All we ask for in Kogi State is fair play.”
Addressing the concern that this administration seems to be against women, Salihu expressed, “I cannot understand why this administration is constantly oppressing women. Let us not forget that in 2019, the women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Salome Abuh, was mercilessly burnt to death. It is a devastating reality. We see a similar situation unfolding before us once again. First, it was Koton Karfe, and now it happened in Ejule and Ajaka. Who knows where tragedy will strike next? Our lives are in constant danger.”
She passionately emphasized, “Everyone has the right to freedom, including the women of Kogi. We fail to comprehend why this administration is actively suppressing women’s rights. We have done nothing wrong. In all honesty, without women, none of us would be here. Thus, I beseech women’s rights activists and organizations to come to our rescue, for the situation in Kogi State is spiraling out of control, all in the name of elections.”
