…say it’s ‘Woman slot’ or nothing_
By Daniel Ekong
Women in Etinan Local Government Area are mounting a unified push ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the Etinan State Constituency seat in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly must go to a woman.
In separate interviews with our correspondents on the upcoming State Assembly polls, several women decried what they called long-standing marginalization in political representation within the area. They vowed that in 2027, their votes would go only to a political party that presents a female candidate for the Etinan State Constituency seat.
Peace Joshua, Etinan Chapter Coordinator of Women For Women Initiative (WWI), said the time had come to elect a female lawmaker who would prioritize women’s interests in her legislative work.
“It is time to vote for women in order to correct the gender imbalances of the past”, Peace noted, adding that come 2027, the women of Etinan would mobilize themselves massively to achieve the goal.
She continued: “The last time a woman was elected to represent Etinan State Constituency was in 2003 in the person of Hon. Iniobong Eshiet. That’s over twenty years ago and she performed excellently well.
During her tenure, our women were effectively carried along in the scheme of things. So, come 2027, we will mobilize the women to support one of us. Thank God, we have a very vibrant woman amongst the contenders. Mrs Imo Mmenim Valentine. She has the requisite capacity with a track record of competence to deliver, not just on her legislative functions, but oversights regarding the women’s rights and interests”.
Also speaking, Obonganwan Patience Anako, the immediate-past Senatorial Woman Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Akwa Ibom Northeast (Uyo) Senatorial District, argued that women deserve equal rights to political representation. She described Mrs. Imo Mmenim as the definitive “Women Slot”.
According to Patience “For the past over twenty years, no woman has been elected to represent Etinan State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. So, we the women are saying that the stakeholders in Etinan should consider and allow this turn for a woman. Mrs Imo Mmenim Valentine is the Women Slot.
As we speak, she is the only woman in the race. She is fully Iman Ibom in all ramifications. She comes from Etinan both by birth and marriage. She hails from Ikot Akpanya village, Northern Iman Ward 2.
Her husband is also from Etinan, from the southern part. Incidentally, she is the only aspirant who would represent the interests of the entire Etinan local government area, the north and the south. And to crown it all, she is a woman and still young in age.
Therefore, Mrs Imo Mmenim will represent all interests. She will represent Etinan North; her birthplace, Etinan South; her origin by marriage, the women; being her gender and the youths because age wise, she is still a youth. Therefore, we the women will grab this opportunity and do everything to ensure that a woman is elected”.
The women said their adoption of Mrs. Mmenim as sole candidate reflects a broader resolve to end over two decades of exclusion from the AKHA seat. They pledged grassroots mobilization across all wards to secure victory for her in 2027.
