A call for gender balance in Soludo's administration

Former Anambra Governorship aspirant Oby Kate Okafor, who was a Deputy chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC), has called on Anambra Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to appoint more women to his cabinet in order to achieve a better gender balance. Okafor expressed disappointment that the current gender ratio in Soludo’s cabinet does not meet expectations, as it falls short of the 70:30 gender balance ratio. She emphasized the importance of women in the development of Igbo society and urged Soludo to align his actions with his previous statements about the significant role of women in societal advancement.

Additionally, Okafor mentioned that the Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC), comprising around 50 political parties, actively supported Soludo’s governorship bid during the last election. However, she noted that their efforts have not been acknowledged or rewarded by Soludo. Despite challenges such as the deregistration of Okafor’s party, ACD, by INEC, and the subsequent collaboration with AGPA to support Soludo’s victory, Okafor feels that their contributions have not been recognized. She expressed a desire for acknowledgment from Soludo, emphasizing that their support was given to him over other competing parties, despite receiving offers from APC and PDP at the time.