IPC holds town hall meeting on Lagos LGA elections

The International Press Centre (IPC) in conjunction with UKAID/DFID and ACTIONAID has held a town hall meeting with the theme: Advancing Participation of Women, Youth and Persons Living with Disabilities in Lagos LGA Elections.

The meeting, which held at the Women Development Centre, Agege, Lagos on Thursday, November 24, 2016 had Dr Dele Seteolu of the political science department, LASU as the keynote speaker, and he spoke on the topic: Issues and Context in Advancing Participation of Women, Youth and Persons Living with Disabilities in Lagos LGA Elections.

According to him, reasons women, youth and PWDs don’t really participate in elections include violence against them, poor economic opportunities, marital factors, discrimination.

Explaining, he said politics is not for the faint-hearted and most politicians encounter violence so which man would want his wife to participate in it?

Concluding his presentation, he said youth, women and PWDs participation in elections can however be ensured through review of electoral laws after every election has exposed the problems mitigating against their participation, domestication of electronic voting and other ways out.

Also speaking, Waheed Ishola, Director, NOA, Lagos said the town hall meeting is very germane to move Nigeria forward. He added that it’s important for women, youth, PWDS and everyone to get prepared for the Lagos LGA elections as they will eventually hold and the only way they can prepare is to know the candidates in order to which of them is best to vote for.