Bisi Fayemi: Nigeria is ripe for female president

Bisi Fayemi, wife of Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, says Nigeria is ripe for a female president but it may be difficult for a woman to become president owing to the country’s “hostile” political system.

Fayemi said this in Ado Ekiti on Friday at the first public reading of ‘Where Is Your Wrapper?’, to mark the 2021 World Book Day.

She said the country is ready to be governed by a female president because of the vast ”women resources” at its disposal.

Fayemi advised the female gender not to misconstrue the situation to mean “fighting for women blindly”, saying she would only defend and promote women who value “dignity, self respect and walk on the path of truthfulness”.

“Nigeria is ripe for a female presidency, but we won’t have one anytime soon because those who are controlling power and in leadership positions have a way of keeping the female gender away from power,” she said.

“Despite this treatment, we are proud that we have women like Okonjo Iweala, who is the director-general of the World Trade Organisation, and others who are faces of respect to women.

“So, technically, we are ready for it. We have the people with exposure and education, but we have to build a system that will allow them realise their full potentials within the political space.”

Fayemi said feminism is gradually gaining ground in Nigeria owing to the widespread belief that “women should have rights, should not be battered, should have education, should be economically self-dependent and it is important for them to be protected”.

“We must confront those issues that tend to undermine women. Women are entitled to live decent lives and that is why the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi is displaying that political will to support us to defend the female gender against abuses,” she added.

“In my own understanding of feminism, I can defend women who are being battered by their husbands, women who are well mannered, but I can’t defend those who are ill-mannered and rude. What I am fighting for is for them to achieve their full potentials.

“I decided to be a feminist and defender of human rights because I was lucky to have married someone who is a governor and has executive powers. We believe that we can use the political will and instrument of democracy to change our perspective about some things concerning women emancipation.”