A women-focused advocacy organisation, Loudest Voices for Mbah, has called on Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah to ensure the enforcement of the 35 per cent affirmative action policy in the distribution of elective positions across the state.

The group also urged the governor to create opportunities for women to emerge as senators, noting that no woman from Enugu State has occupied a senatorial seat in the current democratic era.

Speaking in Enugu, the group’s coordinator, Mrs. Joy Mammah, stressed that women possess the competence and experience needed to contribute significantly to governance and development if afforded equal opportunities. She argued that women have largely been excluded from meaningful participation in political decision-making processes, limiting their impact in the state’s political landscape.

Mrs. Mammah, who also serves as Executive Director of the Heroine Women Foundation (HWF), appealed to the governor to back female aspirants in the forthcoming Enugu North senatorial by-election and the 2027 general elections. According to her, deliberate support from the state leadership would help guarantee women’s representation in elective offices and other key decision-making structures.

She further contended that the political environment in Enugu, which she described as male-dominated, has effectively denied women the benefits of the 35 per cent affirmative action policy intended to reserve a portion of elective offices for them.

The Enugu North senatorial seat became vacant after the passing of Senator Okey Ezea. Although formal campaigns have yet to commence, several individuals are reportedly showing interest in contesting the by-election, including Amb. Ejike, Dr. Pat Asadu, Mr. Chika Ugwuoke, and Hon. Harrison Ogara.