The First Lady of Ondo State, Chief (Mrs) Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has advised Nigerian women in the struggle for passage of gender bills, to restrategise and act beyond laying siege on the entrance of the National Assembly Complex.

Having realised that the current national women protest against the rejection of pro-female bills by the National Assembly, especially the Senate, might not yield needed sympathy, Mrs Akeredolu called on Nigerian women to go back to their various states and adopt the lobbying strategy.

She said: “In my opinion, I will suggest that we restrategise and I recommend that we should go back to our respective states and lobby. Have this interpersonal lobbying with our governors and the party structure, especially the party chairmen of our respective political parties. Where a party is in government, I strongly suggest that you work hands in gloves with your First Lady.

“The First Lady will reach out to the party chairman of that political party and strike a deal. That’s exactly what we are doing in Ondo State and we are hopeful that it will work out. However, other parties may follow suit and reach out to their party chairmen. If we can get more women to get the ticket, I can assure you that we will have more women at the National Assembly and the State Houses of  Assembly, that’s exactly what we have been yearning for.”

The Ondo First Lady, who has been lending her voice to the struggle for passage of the gender bills, advocated a strong approach to ensure the bills were reconsidered by the Senate.

She commended the women who have been at the forefront of the struggle, while appealing to them to go back to their various states and lobby their House of Representatives members, describing members of the Lower chamber as window of opportunity for women.

It would be recalled that, a week after the commencement of the peaceful protest by the women, members of the House of Representatives reconsidered four of the gender bills, leaving the Senate to also do the needful.