At the end of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence in Abuja, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, CTA, has disclosed that violence against Nigerian women is has reached an alarming rate, calling for deeper reflections in the country.
The group, in a statement signed by Faith Nwadishi, the Executive Director of the centre on Monday, said the recent incidents during the last elections in in Kogi State brought to the front burner the cases of gender-based violence in the country.
Ms Nwadishi noted that the trend had since metamorphosed from what she described as systematic disenfranchisement of women to participate as voters or candidates, to physical attacks and outright murder.
READ ALSO: Presidential panel receives 96 sexual violence complaints – NHRC
According to her, the frustration suffered by the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Natasha Akpoti in the course of her campaigns and the murder of Woman Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kogi state, Mrs Abuh, calls for concern.
“From the primaries by political parties in Nigeria leading to the 2019 general elections, statistics show that most women who were privileged to vie for positions as candidates lost woefully to the men who cajoled, harassed and induced voters using money and violence.
“In the last general elections, for example, no woman was on the ballot for the 2019 general elections on the platform of most of the Political parties.
“The ‘unending cycle of violence against women’ before, during and after elections took a dangerous and disturbing dimension in Kogi state during the just concluded governorship election.
“Natasha Akpoti’s travails were another classical example where she was harassed and shoved even by security agents. Most heart-trembling was the gruesome murder of Mrs Abu, the PDP Woman leader in her house in Kogi state.
“The Team of CTA Election Observers led by the Executive Director who is a woman escaped death by whiskers,” the statement noted.
