26yrs Rukayat Shittu, who is an aspirant for the Kwara State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, speaks about her motivation,and recent experience at the constituency primaries.
There is a viral picture of you on the social media in which you displayed the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms of the All Progressives Congress. Are you an aspirant for real or was it just a social media stunt?
It wasn’t a social media stunt. I am an aspirant. I am in the race for the Kwara State House of Assembly. I want to represent Owode/Onire Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly.
Where are you from and how old are you?
I am 26 years old. I am from Manyan in the Onire District of Kwara State, my village has never represented my constituency politically, so I am here to change the narrative, to show that there are people from my village who can as well do this work perfectly.
When exactly did you join politics and what motivated you?
I am not new to politics. I have been in politics since my undergraduate days. I graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria, where I was a students’ representative – I represented over 85 study centres across the federation. I was the first female Senate President of the Congress of Open University of Nigeria, and the Publicity Secretary for a pro-democracy group, Kwara Must Change. I have also been involved in some other things in the political sector, particularly in my state.
Tell us more about your educational background.
I went to Baptist LGA Primary School (where), later to Government Day Secondary School in Oku-Ire in Ilorin; and then to Kwara State College of Islamic and Legal Studies where I obtained diploma in Mass Communication and Islamic Studies. It was after then that I proceeded to the National Open University of Nigeria where I graduated with second class from the Department of Mass Communication.
What motivated you to join partisan politics?
My engagement in the media space, engagements during my undergraduate days along with some of the leadership training I have had motivated me to join politics.
When did you join the APC and why the APC rather than another party?
I have been a progressive family member for a long time. The APC has a level playing field that gives women the opportunity to run for elective positions; and as a women advocate, that is the right party for me. They slashed the price of the nomination form for women; so, we have a lot of women contesting in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
How much did you get the forms and how did you raise the money?
I got the forms for N500,000. Much of the money was from my purse; the rest was through donation by people, associates, friends, colleagues, family. That was how I got the money to buy the Expression of Interest form. The Nomination Form was free for women.
How do your parents and community feel about you political ambition?
Everyone – my parents, my mosque members, classmates, friends, and the community – is excited about the development and they are all supporting me.
What challenges have you faced so far during your campaign?
As a young lady that wants to change the narrative, I have been financially sidelined. However, I have my Go-Fund Me account and people are donating to the cause, while others are supporting me materially and morally. I am hopeful and I am positive that we are setting the pace already.
Do you belong to any of the caucuses within the party?
I don’t belong to any caucus in the party; I don’t belong to any faction in the party, I am a neutral person who is coming on board to serve.
How did the primaries for your constituency go, was it a free and fair amongst the aspirants?
It was disrupted, everything got scattered and we all had to find our way back to our homes. The incumbent representative of the constituency, Ibrahim Ambali, told his thugs to destroy everywhere. We were all there when he told them to stand up and scatter everything.
There were gunshots everywhere, so we had to leave Alapa, (in Asa Local Government Area, venue of the primaries).
What did the monitoring officials of the primaries do?
There were gunshots everywhere; everyone took to their heels, including the monitoring officials. We have not heard from the party or INEC officially since the incident happened.
So no circular has been released from the monitoring officials on the incident?
Yes
How do you feel about the whole process?
Well it wasn’t a good one I must say, we were cleared to vie for this position at the primaries and we were ready. Since yesterday, two out of the three aspirant’s vying for the representative seat of my constituency were claiming to have emerged at the polls. On my part, I have put a release (press statement) out there saying there was no election yesterday.
The incumbent, Ambali, is announcing himself as the winner of the primaries, he declared that he garnered a total score of 35, while the other man, Usman Alajere, scored five and I scored three. Alajere also declared himself the winner saying that he had 32 votes, while the incumbent had 3votes, and I had five votes. On my own part, I have made a public statement declaring that there was no election yesterday.
Copyright PUNCH.
