Young Moms Support Initiative (YMSI), an NGO, has called on presidential and gubernatorial candidates to pick women as their running mates for the 2023 general elections.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the group (CEO), Dr Vivian Sonny-Nsirim, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, said that the call became necessary in order to guarantee gender equality.
She said: “We are asking the bigger politicians to carry women as their deputies to make for gender equality and balancing.
“If this done, we will give such candidates an overwhelming support”.
Sonny-Nsirim, however, urged
women to come out en-masse to exercise their franchise during the forthcoming 2023 general election.
“Your vote is your power, begin to change the narrative, make your voice count by voting leaders with the heart to serve”.
She urged women across the country to identify with female groups in their localities or create a forum to encourage citizens to vote.
The CEO also advised women not to be weighed down by criticisms and cultural practices.
She said that women should join hands in voting for leaders who had track records on human capital development, empowerment of women, youths and girls in the country.
She commended the Independent National Electoral Commission on the extension for Continuous Voter Registration and called on women leaders to mobilise others to ensure they got their Permanent Voter Cards.