2023: Men must shift for women — Toyo

A female governorship aspirant in Cross River State and former Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mrs Nkoyo Toyo has called for a power shift from men to women. 

Nkoyo Toyo

Accompanied by the National Women Leader of PDP, Dr. Stella Atu; a founding member of the party, Ntunkai Grace Eyo Ita; a party chieftain, Mrs. Nella Andem Rabana; and others, Toyo said women and the youths constitute the voting strength, hence, the “PDP should think of doing things differently. People should be encouraged to come out and vote, and voters’ apathy must stop.

We will win doing it differently.”

The ex-House of Representatives member, who represented Calabar/Odukpani Federal Constituency said, “Our politics is ruined by three major problems, one – we rule by exclusion, so people are not feeling governance at the most basic level and nothing is working and you are not wanted…When this happens people feel unwanted and they believe the state and country are not working. Things are not just right, so we need to make governance more inclusive and more participatory.”

She said one of the core mandates of her administration if elected would be a total revival of the local council system in a bid to take governance to the people at the grassroots and “we have to build an economy, which is more people inclusive. You cannot rule the Northern Senatorial district from Calabar; you need people on ground, if you want governance to count for the people.”

The state Chairman of the PDP, Venatius Ikem who received Toyo and her team, said Toyo as one the most experienced Cross Riverians, is qualified in so many ways — as a lawyer and a social activist, who has a lot to offer the state.

He said, “I have known her for close to two decades, the only word to describe her with is competence, she comes with a lot of competence, she comes with a lot of experience. I have seen her perform as a lawyer, an NGO person and an ambassador for this country. I have no doubt she would perform fantastically well if given the chance to be governor.”