The Arewa Women for Quality Representation and Good Governance (AWQRGG) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to uphold and restore the senatorial candidacy of Hajiya Muheebat Dankaka, who emerged victorious in the recently concluded APC Senatorial Primary Election for Kwara South.
The group made the call in a statement jointly signed in Kaduna by its National Coordinator, Barr. Laraba Danjuma, and General Secretary, Hajiya Bilikisu Muhammadu.
According to the organisation, Hajiya Dankaka secured a decisive victory over other aspirants through what it described as a transparent, free, and credible electoral process, driven by her widespread acceptance among party members and strong support from women, youths, traditional institutions, and key stakeholders across Kwara South.
AWQRGG expressed concern over what it termed the unjust marginalisation and victimisation of Dankaka following her victory at the party’s primary election. It urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC National Working Committee (NWC), and the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that justice, equity, fairness, and inclusiveness prevail in the matter.
The organisation stated that denying Dankaka the mandate freely given to her by party delegates would undermine internal democracy within the APC and discourage women from actively participating in politics across Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole.
According to the group, any decision to withhold her name from the final list of candidates would be inconsistent with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasises inclusion, equal opportunity, and gender equity in governance. It added that such a move would also contradict the APC’s commitment to the implementation of the 35 per cent Affirmative Action for women.
The group maintained that the mandate was democratically bestowed upon Dankaka by APC delegates in Kwara South through a transparent process and reflected the confidence reposed in her leadership, competence, integrity, and commitment to public service.
It further stressed that the outcome of the primary election should be respected by all stakeholders, noting that delegates exercised their democratic rights peacefully and that Dankaka emerged as the clear winner through a process that met democratic standards.
AWQRGG described the issue as a critical test of the credibility of the APC’s internal democratic process, arguing that every primary election represents a covenant between a political party and its members whose votes must be respected.
The organisation warned that any attempt to overturn or disregard the outcome of the primary election would be unjust, undemocratic, and a violation of the wishes of party delegates who freely elected Dankaka as their preferred candidate.
The group also noted that Dankaka’s victory represents a significant milestone for women’s political participation in Northern Nigeria, where women have historically faced cultural, political, and institutional barriers despite their contributions to national development.
According to the organisation, Dankaka is reportedly the only woman to have emerged victorious in an APC Senatorial Primary Election across the nineteen Northern states, making her emergence a symbol of hope, inclusion, and women’s empowerment.
Speaking on the development, Barr. Danjuma said women in Northern Nigeria remain grossly underrepresented in elective positions despite their achievements in various sectors of national life.
She stated that Dankaka’s victory was a demonstration of the confidence party members have in her capacity and leadership qualities, adding that the outcome should be protected rather than undermined.
The organisation appealed to President Tinubu, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the leadership of the APC to intervene and ensure that justice is done.
It maintained that affirming Dankaka’s mandate would strengthen confidence in the party’s democratic processes and reassure women that electoral victories secured through transparent and credible means would be respected regardless of gender.
AWQRGG also called on women’s groups, youth organisations, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, media practitioners, and advocates of democracy to support the campaign for the protection and restoration of Dankaka’s mandate.
The group concluded that protecting her victory is not merely about one individual but about preserving the sanctity of democracy, strengthening internal party democracy, promoting gender inclusion, and ensuring that the will of the people remains supreme.