June 12: NDC Women leader demands safe schools, women’s inclusion in governance By Lai Gidado
June 12: NDC Women leader demands safe schools, women’s inclusion in governance
By Lai Gidado
North Central Women Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hajia Nike AbdulRahaman, has called for urgent action on insecurity, the rescue of abducted schoolchildren, and greater inclusion of women in Nigeria’s political leadership.
She insisted that democracy can only thrive when it is both safe and inclusive.
In her Democracy Day message titled “My Take on June 12 – Democracy Thrives When It Is Safe and Inclusive,” delivered in Abuja on June 12, 2026, AbdulRahaman said the essence of June 12, 1993, must continue to guide Nigeria’s democratic journey, warning that the sacrifices made for democracy would be meaningless if citizens still live in fear.
She recalled the historic election of June 12, 1993, describing it as a defining moment when Nigerians “chose hope over fear and the ballot over the bullet,” noting that many participants in the struggle paid with their freedom and, in some cases, their lives.
AbdulRahaman stressed that democracy is more than a commemorative date, adding that it remains incomplete until every Nigerian is able to experience it in daily life.
She expressed concern over continued insecurity in parts of the country, referencing communities such as Chibok, Dapchi, Kagara, Yauri and Birnin Gwari, where school abductions have left families in prolonged anguish.
According to her, the call to “Bring Back Our Children” must go beyond rhetoric and be treated as a national mandate, insisting that a state unable to protect children in schools cannot fully secure democratic governance.
“A democracy without safety is a song without sound,” she said, urging security agencies to intensify efforts toward the safe return of abducted citizens.
She further noted that insurgency, banditry and kidnapping are not only security challenges but direct threats to democracy itself.
“To the abductors, no ideology, grievance or profit is worth a child’s tears. Release them. All of them. Now,” she declared.
The NDC women leader also renewed calls for the passage of the Special Seats Bill for Women, describing Nigeria’s low female representation in governance as exclusion rather than true representation.
She noted that women currently occupy less than five per cent of seats in the National Assembly, with only three women in the Senate and several state assemblies lacking any female representation.
According to her, Nigeria cannot claim to be a true democracy while half of its population is excluded from decision-making processes.
She explained that the proposed bill seeks to create additional temporary seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, pointing to countries such as Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda as examples where similar measures strengthened democratic systems.
“When you bring women in, you bring peace in, accountability in, and broader perspectives into governance,” she said.
She urged the National Assembly to act decisively, warning that history would judge its response to the bill.
AbdulRahaman outlined three key pillars for Nigeria’s democracy: protection, inclusion and delivery.
She insisted that no child should be afraid to go to school, no farmer should fear cultivating land, and no citizen should fear participating in elections.
She also emphasised that governance must reflect women, youths and persons with disabilities, describing them as stakeholders rather than spectators.
On delivery, she said democracy must translate into food on the table, access to education and healthcare, and justice for all.
Referencing the legacy of the June 12, 1993 election and Chief M.K.O. Abiola’s Hope ’93 mandate, she said Nigeria’s present democratic reality must be driven by “Action ’26,” focused on measurable results.
According to her, the true test of June 12 is not remembrance, but the extent to which its ideals are lived out in governance and protection of citizens.
“A safe country is one where a girl can walk to school and a woman can walk into parliament,” she said.
Closing Charge
She called on Nigerians to recommit to a democracy that secures abducted children, includes the excluded, and works for all citizens.
“God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God bless our children. God bless Nigerian women. And God bless our democracy,” she concluded, signing off with the slogan: “Nigeria First, Nigeria Always.”
