Yesterday, I attended the PDP Leaders meeting held at the Enugu State Government House alongside other leaders of our great party in the South East, however, this morning, to my surprise I found a publication authored by AIF Media, championed by one Mr. Eneh Victor Chigozie, stating that Senator Uche Ekwunife and Dr Obiora Okonkwo were through the outcome of the meeting edged out of the governorship contest.

While the issue of zoning remains on the table for the leading political parties in the State, including our great party PDP, the facts from the meeting which held behind closed doors, had many leaders of our party affirm the eligibility of a woman to contest both in her place of birth and marriage. Iyom Josephine Anenih who is a member of PDP Board of Trustees was equally present at the meeting. For the benefit of some of us who do not know, Josephine Anenih is one of the beneficiaries of the dual indigenship of women in Nigeria. Though married to Edo State, Anenih served as a Minister on the slot of Anambra where she hails from. She was also ex-officer of Edo PDP but presently a BOT member of the party in Anambra state and not at her place of marriage.

Instances were women have enjoyed dual indigenship are many. For instance, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke took the ministerial slot of Bayelsa state in lieu of Enugu state where she is married to. Florence Ita-Giwa represented Cross River South in 1999 even though her husband is not from South South, Nigeria. The same was the fate of Edo South Senatorial District between 2003 – 2007 when the constituents handed over their mandate to Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma who is married to Taraba state, the wife of the Former Governor of River State, Justice Mary Odili became a federal judge on the slot of Rivers State, but she was elevated as a Justice of the Supreme Court on the slot of Imo State.

Many leaders have equally affirmed that women are entitled to dual indigenship, the latest being the highly respected, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi who is a former Minister of Aviation and the only surviving member of the Zikist Movement. So many Traditional Rulers in Anambra have equally affirmed the rights of women in this regard. The dual indigenship of women is not only constitutionally enshrined but equally traditionally guaranteed. This is why in the Igbo tradition, funeral rites are performed for a woman in her husband and paternal home.

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The outcome of the PDP meeting of yesterday was very fruitful, it provided an opportunity for the party to enforce her commitment towards winning Anambra come November 6, and the general consensus was that the party must present a candidate who has the capacity and acceptability to win at the polls.