Nigeria should have female governor by now – Veteran actress, Joke Silva

Legendary Nigerian actress, Joke Silva has bemoaned the exclusion of women from leadership positions in the country.

The award-winning thespian said women were at the forefront of leadership in Nigeria before independence but have lost grip on leadership in recent times.

Speaking in a recent interview with TVC, Joke Silva stated that by now, Nigeria should have had at least a democratically elected female Governor.

She argued that First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu is one woman who is experienced enough to rise to such coveted position of number 1 citizen.

Silva said: “In the area of leadership, especially political leadership, women have regressed. I mean, we had some really powerful women. You mentioned Fumilayo Kuti earlier. All these powerful women. There were so many of them spread around the nation. So, you expect them to grow in numbers by now.

“At least by now, we should have had a female governor. Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu for one, in contemporary Nigerian politics, is probably the most experienced female politician. She was just in the Senate for a long time and now she is the First Lady.

“But the thing is this: how many others? But we have so many male senators. It goes back to what late Chief MKO Abiola used to say: ‘A nation clapping with one hand.’ How do you clap? How is it heard?”

Virginia Ngozi Etiaba, the first woman who served as governor in 2006, was not elected. She had taken over Anambra State’s affairs after former Governor Peter Obi was impeached by the state legislature.