The 2019 general elections might have come and gone but the gains of that election (despite the flaws of the process) can’t be wished away.
The “Not Too Young To Run” bill was another catalyst that propelled a lot of young, vibrant and intelligent Nigerians to throw in their hats into the political arena to challenge the status quo which seems to leave political contests in the hands of “perennial politicians”.
Hon. Comr. Sylvanus Favour Okeoma is one of the shinning stars from Enugu State that explored the “Not Too Young To Run” bandwagon to inscribe her name in the hearts of the people.
Not minding the corrosive political terrain, Comr. Favour was undeterred in her resolve to speak for her people – Awgu North Constituency, in Enugu State House of Assembly she went ahead and pitched her tent with the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as the political platform to realise her dreams and fulfil her “mission”.
When the turbulence nature of Nigeria politics and as they say in local palance “powers that be” rose it’s ugly head to stop her, seeing how fast the name “Sylvanus Okeoma” was tuning into a movement, she refused to yield and made it known to them that, she’s a “Woman on a Mission” – a statement that later became her campaign theme.
Sylvanus Okeoma’s venture into politics dates back to her days as an undergraduate at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, when she became the Vice President of the citadel of learning and went ahead to become the President – a height no woman has ever achieved in the institution and she still hold the record till date.
Despite the disappointments, highhandedness of the political umpire and her opponents in the election (that obviously had more financial war chest to prosecute the election), Comr. Favour wasn’t discouraged in her desire to touch lives positively.
After the election, she organised a medical outreach as a way of saying “thank you” to the electorates that stood with her despite the forces they were up against.
She’s also not resting in her passion to be a better person thus have been involved in series of trainings such as;
•Women in politics training:
Organized by
National Democratic Institute. NDI
at Abuja.
•Capacity Building.
Organized by Yiaga African/ Not too young to run at Abuja
•Leadership and conflict management skills for electoral stakeholders training Organised by European Center for Electoral Support, ECES
at Victoria island Lagos
•State youth agenda setting for good government workshop.
Organized by
Westminster Foundation for Democracy at Enugu
•One day reflection meeting on young female candidates and the 2019 general election organized by READY TO RUN at Abuja
• Evidence based reporting on corruption training
Organised by SCRAP_C and Yiaga African
Hon. Comr. Sylvanus is currently the Youth Coordinator, Nigeria Young Women Political Forum, NYWPF and also focused on using her NGO to reach out to the unreached in the society and engage in many advocacy to combact illiteracy.
Her NGO is also interested in promoting women participation in politics.
As the 2023 election begins to crawl in, this “Woman on a Mission” will definitely be a force to reckon with.
