Politics
Donald Tusk woos female voters ahead of Poland’s election
Donald Tusk woos female voters ahead of Poland’s election
Poland’s opposition leader Donald Tusk has made a last-ditch attempt to win over female voters ahead of Sunday’s election, including a pledge to restore reproductive rights curtailed by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. Addressing a mostly female audience in the city of Łódź, where women textile workers were at the forefront of the country’s industrial revolution, Tusk emphasized their potentially pivotal role in ousting PiS after eight years in power. For women wanting to live in a modern European country, “it really can’t be like this!”, he shouted to loud applause at a rally this week. Ahead of what is shaping up to be one of Poland’s most polarised elections, Tusk’s conservative-leaning but more liberal Civic Platform is trailing PiS by some five percentage points. The opposition hopes to reverse the result of the 2019 election when 43 percent of the female vote went for PiS and just 30 percent for Civic Platform. Absenteeism may make matters worse: internal surveys show about half of the younger female electorate — aged between 18 and 45 — might not vote at all on Sunday.
“This a real problem because I’m sure these [younger] women, if they decide to vote, will defend democracy and the rights of women,” Hanna Zdanowska, the Civic Platform mayor of Łódź, told the Financial Times. As part of its eleventh-hour effort to mobilise female voters, Civic Platform is promising that one of the first laws passed by a new Tusk government would subsidise in vitro fertilisation — for which the PiS government stopped public financing only weeks after taking office in 2015. “Every party has said or done things that I really don’t like,” said start-up entrepreneur Olivia Kowalczyk, 25. Civic Platform is “now talking about women’s rights but we all know they made many promises in the past that they then absolutely didn’t fulfil when they were in power eight years ago”. By comparison, only about one-third of male voters in the same age group are on the fence about casting their ballots on Sunday, internal polling shows. Young men have now also become the core electorate of a far-right misogynist party, Confederation, that could offer PiS its only path back to power.
Women have spearheaded the pushback against PiS and led mass street protests following a 2020 constitutional court ruling rolling back the right to abortion. But Civic Platform is also campaigning on reproductive rights issues — which are particularly divisive in a majority-Catholic society. Poland has a proportional representation system and Sunday’s election result will also depend on any swing in turnout between voters in Warsaw and other cities dominated by the opposition and older rural voters who embrace the conservatism of PiS and also rely more on state handouts. Łódź is a case in point, a city in the centre of Poland led by mayor Zdanowska since 2010. But the outskirts of Łódź provide more fertile ground for PiS. Many towns are run by conservative women who canvass door-to-door for PiS and often also against feminism. “I don’t go to the centre of Łódź to campaign but I’m spending time with my people, reading poetry to disabled children in our schools,” said Renata Kobiera, a PiS candidate in Brzeziny, which has 12,000 residents. Her municipality office is decorated with posters celebrating small-scale PiS infrastructure projects, such as a new bus line. “I think women here will vote for women like me because we calm down our politics,” Kobiera argued.
The opposition’s last-minute drive to attract younger women seems to mobilise older women to vote for PiS, said Marcin Duma, head of pollster Ibris, though he added it was hard to determine to what extent. The highest-ranked woman on the PiS list in Łódź, Agnieszka Wojciechowska van Heukelom, claimed Tusk was belatedly and unjustifiably moving women’s rights up his agenda. “I don’t see the collapse of women’s rights that Donald Tusk is now trying to talk about, and I know many other women who don’t see it either,” she said. Sunday’s result “will not be determined by talking about women’s rights but by people, especially women, who want to feel safe in every sense of the term, not only military security but also social safety, with strong support from the state”, the conservative candidate said. Tusk has at times struggled to deliver a consistent message to progressive women. He spoke forcefully about women’s rights in Łódź, a day after taking part in a televised debate in which he did not mention women at all. Only one of the six participants in that debate talked about women, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus from the Left party, who also happened to be the only woman on stage.
Tusk also recently stunned many supporters by nominating a former ultraconservative education minister, Roman Giertych, to run in the constituency where PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczyński is standing. Giertych’s political return could deal a blow to Kaczyński, but it could also upset those who recall his demand for schoolchildren to be taught that abortion is murder. Opposition candidate Aleksandra Wiśniewska, 29, argued Tusk was not given a chance to speak about women during Monday’s TV debate because the discussion was steered by presenters from the pro-PiS state broadcaster. “Women’s rights are absolutely critical,” she said. “But I think there is something far more pivotal and sinister hanging over this election, which is that our democracy is at stake.”
Politics
APC Leaders’ Meeting on Oluyole Primaries Misrepresented — Group*
*APC Leaders’ Meeting on Oluyole Primaries Misrepresented — Group*
A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oluyole Federal Constituency, Itesiwaju Oluyole, has described as false and misleading a media report titled “APC Leaders Rally Behind Gbolagade over Oluyole Primaries.”
Speaking on behalf of the group, Alh. Wasiu Busari stated that the report was deliberately designed to mislead members of the public and create confusion over the outcome of the recently conducted party primaries in the constituency.
According Busari, the meeting referenced in the report was attended by only a few leaders whose preferred aspirant, Biodun Gbolagade, lost at the primaries.
The group maintained that the gathering was merely an attempt to restate a position that had already been overtaken by the party’s decision and the outcome of the exercise.
It added that several prominent APC leaders in Oluyole were absent from the meeting, a development it said reflected their respect for party supremacy, due process, and the outcome of the primaries.
Among those said to be absent were the current APC Chairman in the constituency, Prince Dotun Oladipo; Alhaji Razak Lawal Akilapa; Pa Osuolale Alamu; Prince Abbas Alesinloye; Alhaji Ogunrin; Hon. Moruff Lamolo; Alhaji Abdul Wahid Olawale; Hon. Abiodun Wahab, popularly known as Deen Abbey; and Pa Larinde, among others.
The statement further alleged that some individuals behind the narrative were among those who either defected to the Accord Party during the 2023 elections or were linked with anti-party activities against the APC in the last general elections.
The group, therefore, urged residents and party faithful in Oluyole Federal Constituency to disregard the report, insisting that the APC remains bigger than individual interests.
It stressed that the outcome of the primaries should be respected in the interest of unity, party discipline, and democratic order.
Politics
“No Economy Can Prosper Without Strong Institutions” — Obasa Tells Global Investors
“No Economy Can Prosper Without Strong Institutions” — Obasa Tells Global Investors
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has declared that no economy can attain enduring prosperity without strong institutions and strategic collaboration between government and private capital.
Delivering a keynote on the theme “Legislative Leadership and the Role of Global Private Capital in Modern Economic Growth,” at the HOC Capital Club in Lekki on Saturday, May 16, Obasa told investors, policymakers, and diplomats that global private capital thrives only where laws are clear, governance is accountable, and policies are consistent.
He emphasized that legislative leadership is central to building such an environment, noting that the Assembly’s constitutional mandate — particularly its control over public funds and oversight powers — is designed to safeguard transparency and strengthen investor trust.
“All the money that comes into the treasury must be legislated upon by the House for transparency. The power of the purse is the most effective weapon for the people’s representatives to control government spending,” he said.
Speaker Obasa stressed further that credible institutions, rule of law, and regulatory predictability are essential to attracting quality investments. However, he noted that while attracting capital is vital, growth must deliver tangible social benefits including job creation, poverty reduction, and improved public services.
He went on to spotlight landmark laws under his stewardship that have reshaped the state’s investment climate, including the Public Procurement Law (2021), Public-Private Partnership Law (2011/2015), and the Electric Power Sector Reform Law (2024). He also pointed to property protection frameworks and the ₦4.44 trillion “Budget of Shared Prosperity” for 2026 — which allocates over 52% to capital expenditure — as deliberate pointers to Lagos’ readiness for global capital inflows.
He further highlighted initiatives such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, harmonization of taxes, and the proposed Railways Corporation Bill (2025) as evidence of Lagos’ legislative foresight and long-term economic vision.
Speaker Obasa concluded by stressing that the future of growth will depend on the quality of leadership in public institutions and the confidence inspired in the global investment community.
“Together, we can unlock the full potential of Lagos, strengthen Africa’s economic future, and establish a new benchmark for economic and diplomatic engagement on the global stage,” he declared, leaving investors with a clear message: Lagos is ready to lead, and the world is invited to invest in its promise.
The HOC Capital Club in Lekki is an exclusive private capital and global advocacy network, designed for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) with verified second citizenships and a minimum net worth of $2 million. It serves as a hub where wealth, influence, and policy intersect, connecting investors, policymakers, and global citizens across continents.
Politics
Akande-Sadipe Emerges APC Candidate for Oluyole Federal Constituency Amid Failed Disruption Attempts*
*Akande-Sadipe Emerges APC Candidate for Oluyole Federal Constituency Amid Failed Disruption Attempts*
The Member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, has emerged victorious in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Oluyole Federal Constituency.
The keenly contested primary, held under strict monitoring and in line with the party’s guidelines, witnessed a massive turnout of delegates and party faithful who reaffirmed their confidence in the leadership and representation of Akande-Sadipe.
Despite alleged attempts by opposition elements to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the exercise through acts capable of causing violence and tension, party members remained resolute and committed to democracy.
Security agencies and party officials acted swiftly to ensure orderliness, allowing the process to continue without intimidation.
Speaking after the declaration of results, Akande-Sadipe expressed gratitude to delegates, party leaders, and supporters across the constituency for their unwavering support and trust in her leadership.
She described the victory as a collective triumph for loyal party members and the people of Oluyole Federal Constituency.
“This victory belongs to the people of Oluyole who have continued to stand firmly for progress, continuity, and quality representation. I deeply appreciate the confidence reposed in me and assure our people that I will continue to work tirelessly for their welfare and development,” she said.
She also commended the leadership of the APC for ensuring a transparent and credible process while urging party members to remain united ahead of the general elections.
Akande-Sadipe reaffirmed her commitment to delivering impactful representation, empowerment programmes, infrastructural development, and people-oriented initiatives across Oluyole Federal Constituency.
E-signed:
Media Team
Office of Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe.
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