Female Candidates vying for different positions in the 2023 elections were engaged by the media during a mentoring and coaching workshop organised by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), supported by UN Women and the Government of Canada. The female candidates from Kwara and Kogi States who gathered in Ilorin, Kwara State capital expressed their readiness to be actively involved in the governance of the country.

Princess Victoria Oluwayemisi Bamidipo, the deputy governorship candidate under the Action Alliance (AA) party in Kwara State said she will use strategies learnt to work more with party agents and employ constitutional guidelines to win elections.
Hon. Agela Amao the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) House of Assembly candidate representing Ogori-Mangogo Constituency in Kogi State, said the new electoral act guarantees a level-playing ground for everyone and urged women to come out on election day to exercise their civic rights. Amao said “Women can do it better because we feel the pains more than men. We know the weak points and how best to approach issues better”.

Emmanuella Azu programmes officer WARDC said that the essence of the workshop is to have more female representation at the parliament, various elective and appointive positions at the end of 2023 general elections.
Jide Ojo, a development expert who spoke on Electoral Landscape and Framework said the new Electoral Act 2022 will benefit women the most, citing a case of guaranteed fair election. Ojo encouraged women candidates to deploy reliable agents to polling units to challenge misconducts. He advised female candidates to improve on their social capital and to be relevant in their local communities and in their religious organizations.

Funke Treasure, a media specialist, urged the candidates to engage in strategic communication in order to reach their different target audiences. According to Treasure, “the power the media wield is global. Therefore, a politician deploying that power for campaign visibility must understand how to use it strategically and effectively”

The media engagement was organised by Women Radio 91.7 with support from UNWomen and the Canadian government