PROSPER OKOYE
Pro-women and rights groups have condemned the removal of Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen as the Executive Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, describing it as a setback for democracy and gender inclusion.
The groups, led by the Women for 35% Initiative of the Aju Morgan Elumelu Foundation, said the action undermines democratic principles, the rule of law, and efforts to increase women’s representation in governance.
In a statement signed by Amb. Aju Elumelu, Founder of the Foundation and Convener of Women for 35% Initiative, the groups said the process was carried out despite a subsisting court order restraining further action on the matter.
Hon. Allen was elected under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and sworn in on May 29, 2024. She is the only female chairman among the eight Local Government Chairmen in Bayelsa State, a fact the group said makes her removal particularly significant.
According to the statement, Hon. Allen faced sustained pressure and political intimidation over her refusal to defect from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The group noted that with barely eight months left in her tenure, the timing of the removal raises concerns about respect for the people’s mandate and due process.
The women’s group also flagged reports that Hon. Diepreye Rosline Yankee, Councillor and Leader of the Sagbama Legislative Council, was sworn in as Acting Chairman. The statement noted that Hon. Yankee is a defendant in a suit before the Bayelsa State High Court, where a judge issued an order for stay of action against the removal on August 10, 2026. The matter was scheduled for hearing on August 20.
“Hon. Mrs. Alice Tangi Allen received a mandate from the people of Sagbama to serve. That mandate deserves to be respected,” the statement said.
The group questioned what the development means for democracy and women’s participation in politics if elected officials can be removed for exercising their right to remain in the party under which they were elected.
Women for 35% stressed that its campaign is not about supporting one political party over another, but about protecting women’s participation in democracy and ensuring that elected women are allowed to serve without coercion or intimidation.
It called on democratic institutions, civil society organizations, women’s groups, and relevant authorities to pay close attention to developments in Sagbama and ensure that the rights and dignity of elected officials are protected.
The group urged all parties to pursue constitutional and legal avenues to resolve the matter peacefully and transparently.
“Women must not only be given a seat at the table. They must be allowed to remain at the table and complete their mandates without fear of victimization,” the statement concluded.