by?Wale Akintunde
Mrs. Faith Anthony, the All Progressives Congress (APC) state women coordinator for the General Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation in Adamawa and Taraba states can be described as an Amazon of women in active politics especially in the North East sub-region of the country where men dominate the political landscape.
She is also the national publicity secretary of the Friends of Buhari. In this interview with WALE AKINTUNDE, she speaks about her political relationship with Former Military Administrator of Lagos and Borno states, Brigadier General Buba Marwa, her relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ousted Governor Murtala Nyako adding that APC will sweep the polls as Gen. Buhari is the Messiah that will take the country out of the woods.
The nation?s political landscape is said to be dominated by men. The belief in certain quarters is that responsible women should not be involved in active politics?
I disagree that no responsible woman ought to be involved in active politics. Women have a role to play in shaping the society for good. I ventured into politics because when I took a critical look at what is happening in government, I discovered that women can handle issues better than men. My passion is to liberate my people which propelled me into an active politics.
Firstly, on the issue of gender discrimination, women have been marginalised greatly. Since I joined active politics, one thing I did is to make sure that I did not restrict myself to local politics.
I made myself known at the national level of my party. Since 2010 I joined a group known as women in politics, we have been organising seminars, where we discuss on how to empower women, encourage them to be actively involved in politics. We have been encouraging women on how to come out and showcase their talent.
If we will allow them to end up just as a house wife, or doing government job alone, the nation will be at a loss. We want women to come out so that the talents in them will not be wasted. There are different stories we hear that women are intimidated by their male counterparts in politics?
You cannot completely rule out issues of harassment or intimidation from our male counterpart in politics. Women in politics regard men as gate keepers therefore they always want to flex their muscle against us at all cost. On this premise, the APC as a political party has tried its best this time around to protect the women folks. In APC woman were given forms free of charge but our male counterparts paid for their nomination forms. In Adamawa State, women including myself seized the opportunity given by APC to come out enmass to fight for political posts but just like I earlier said, the gate keepers muscled some of us out of the contest while some of us made it. Honestly we cannot rule out men dominating women in a political environment. Politics is seen as a male thing in this part of the world which has been stopping many women from coming out to contribute to national development.
You were a political associate of former Military administrator of Lagos and Borno states, General Buba Marwa during his days in the defunct CPC. Presently he and his team have defected to the PDP. Why did you stay back considering your closeness to him? My staying in APC and the political scenario that played out are all the beauty of politics.
I need to be fair to General Buba Marwa. He is a good leader with passion for his followers, notwithstanding, my interest and his are not the same at that particular period he was moving out of APC. Therefore I had to hold the bull by the horn because when the merger started I played an active role from the national level down to the state. I remember when CPC which is my mother party was winding up I was picked as the secretary of the national women wings of the party for mobilization.
We went round the whole country to our political zone to sensitive our people on what they should expect. And after that, when the merger came properly, I was also picked as one of the national women leaders which is called women caucus led by Barister Sharon who was then the interim women leader. During that time, I was representing Adamawa State at the national level. By the time we came down to the state, I was also picked into one of the interim management committee. By that time, General Marwa was not comfortable with APC, and wanted to pull out to the PDP and I looked at it, what will be my interest in moving out of the party I built. However the PDP Marwa was heading to, he was just trying to make a move in order to get himself acquainted with them. How will I then follow him since I had already established myself in the APC.
As you stayed behind in APC, how do you tackle the drove of PDP members led by former Governor Murtala Nyako and Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and their loyalists polarising APC?
I don?t belong to group of people who are trying to cause division in APC, to my best understanding APC in Adamawa State is indivisible. I belong to APC family in which former Governor Murtala Nyako and Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are our leaders. Politics, the way some people view it differs. some people see it as a way of money making venture while others see it as a mean of satisfying one?s desire, but for me, I see politics as a call to service. Likewise, I don?t believe in politics of bitterness to be running people down. I see politics as being committed to put ones foot in the sand of history so that we can be remembered for what we contributed to the society and human development positively.
As a family woman how do you cope with politics and domestic affairs in terms of conflict? Really, there is no conflict in my political journey that affects me as a family person. I am happily married with children who I really take care of as a mother. To be successful politically as a woman, there must be understanding between husband and wife when one is involved in active politics. For instance, if you have a good understanding with your spouse, you will have it right in politics.
The woman will not suffer anything as result of his political career because the husband understands her, men also have work to do in a family upbringing if a man will be going out now and then it also affect the family. So if you have an understanding partner, he will understand you and appreciate what you are doing. What future do you see in APC?
I am very optimistic that APC is the solution to the myriad of problems confronting the country. No doubt APC will form the next central government to take the nation to the promise land. In case there is any failure, it will be minimal probably the party may lose four states but we in APC have confidence that we are going to produce 32 governors at next month polls. The major positions like that of the Speaker House of Representatives and Senate President will surely come from APC fold. To my understanding APC will produce majority lawmakers both in the state and federal. Why the optimism that Gen. Buhari is going to be the next president?
Even the blind man can feel it and the deaf can smell it that the nation needs change and Buhari is the desired change needed by the common man. Buhari has been destined to be the next President of our great nation. I want to assure you this change people are clamouring for is not an individual thing in this regard. Look at the way and manner PDP is fighting General Buhari left and right. I want to tell you that a million propaganda will not stop Buhari in becoming president because people want change. Surely Buhari?s time is now, hence nothing is going to stop him. We know he has contested before and lost three times but this time around. He is not going to lose because people want change even those that brought President Goodluck Jonathan into power like former President Olusegun Obasanjo are now regretting their actions and are now canvassing support for Buhari. Obasanjo and others love the nation and want capable hand to handle its affairs.
However 80percent of Jonathan supporters are the one canvassing for Buhari to be the next President of this country because they are tired of Jonathan?s leadership style. So I don?t see anything that can stop APC in producing the next President.
