Rukayat Shittu: Ladies in PR Applaud Young Female Lawmaker over Court Victory
Ladies in PR, a group of young female communicators, has congratulated Hon Rukayat Motunrayo Shittu (RMS), on her victory at the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal this week upturned the judgement of the Tribunal on the election of the 26-year-old candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Owode/Onire in the Kwara State House of Assembly.
Her election was challenged by her male opponent and main challenger, Magaji Abdullahi, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The election tribunal sitting in Ilorin in its judgement cancelled results in five polling units and ordered a rerun, a decision that was challenged by Hon Shittu at the Appeal Court.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja upturned the decision of the Tribunal, declaring that Shittu was legitimately elected.
In a reception hosted for her at PRNigeria Centre in Abuja, the Ladies in PR hailed the judiciary for upholding the truth, stressing that the judicial affirmation of the election confirmed the fact that the majority of Shittu’s constituents are with her.
Speaking on behalf of the female communication group, Kubura Garba Yusuf, said the victory is a vindication of emerging female power in the country’s democracy and a well-thought-out judgement that will add value to the country’s electoral jurisprudence going forward.
“We congratulate Honourable Ruqqayat, young Nigerians and indeed all aspiring female politicians for this judgement. It is not a victory for her or the party alone; it is a victory for gender-balancing, not-too-young-to-run advocacy, and the rule of law. It is also a vote of confidence in the process that led to her election as the youngest female politician in the current disposition.
“The judgment merely reaffirmed the will of the people and a judicial sustenance of the mandate given to the clear winner of poll,” she said.
Speaking to Politics Digest, a publication of PRNigeria, Honourable Shittu expressed her satisfaction with the court’s decision, stating: “I am grateful to the Almighty God for this victory. It has been a long and challenging journey, but I am thankful for the unwavering support of my constituents and my party.
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“I have persevered through five gruelling court cases since emerging as a candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in June 2022. On the pre-election matter, I went from the High Court, Appeal Court, and the Supreme Court. Similarly in the post-election matter, I have gone from the election tribunal and to the Appeal Court that gave me the final victory.
“I now appreciate from the first-hand experience the level of stress and pressure we subject our politicians and judiciary to as a country. I urge my opponents to join me in embracing governance and setting aside political divisiveness. We must unite to serve the best interests of our constituency.”
While highlighting the efforts she has put in place during the past few months in office, she said, “During my three months in office, I have initiated several impactful initiatives. We are committed to empowering and advocating for our constituents. In a short time, we have distributed educational materials and sanitary pads to girls within our constituency.
“We have also provided cash donations to alleviate the burden of fuel subsidy removal, easing the hardship on our people. Just as President Bola Tinubu is leading the way in this regard, we are committed to complementing his efforts at the local level.
“As a lawmaker, I have several bills in the works, and this judgement will allow me to focus more on their development. One of our key initiatives is to propose a bill to regulate drug abuse on social media platforms. We are also exploring ways for the state government to harness domestic electricity production, enabling us to generate energy locally,” she said.
In his remarks during the visit, the publisher of PRNigeria and Politics Digest, Yushau A. Shuaib, commended Hon. Shittu’s determination and perseverance throughout the legal process. He described her as an inspiration to young women aspiring to join politics.
Shittu was declared the winner of Owode Onire state constituency of Asa Local Government Area in the state on Sunday, March 19 by the returning offer, Professor Hakeem Ijaya.
Professor Ijaya said Shittu scooped 7,521 votes to defeat her closest rival, Abdullah Magaji, of the PDP, who got 6,957 votes.
One of the youngest lawmakers in the country’s history, Shittu is a former Senate President of the Congress of Students at the National Open University of Nigeria. She hails from Manyan village, Onire district in Asa local government area of Kwara State.
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