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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (fourth from the left) leads the first cabinet meeting of his government Jan. 28 in Athens. He's been criticized for selecting no women for senior positions. Petros Giannakouris/AP hide caption

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (fourth from the left) leads the first cabinet meeting of his government Jan. 28 in Athens. He's been criticized for selecting no women for senior positions.

Anastasia Giamali is a young, well-educated and ambitious woman. She's a regional politician for Syriza, the leftist party now running Greece, and a high-profile journalist with the party-affiliated newspaper.

She also agrees with Amparo Rubiales, the Spanish feminist who criticized Syriza for appointing only men to the new cabinet. She says no one in Greece commented on the single-gender leadership, a reflection of how the nation clings to its traditional, patriarchal roots.

"It's still a male-dominated society," Giamali says. "It's hard for a woman to be involved in high-end politics, because a woman must be a mother, must be working, must take care of the whole family more than a man would in Greece.

Greece ranks near the bottom in the European Union in the number of women participating in politics, and never has had a female prime minister. Men still dominate parliament.

A group of young women at an Athenian cafe say they joined Syriza because, compared to the other parties, it has more women in its ranks and more elected women in parliament. Still, says Lina Theodorou, a 25-year-old lawyer, most party leaders are men.

"Men are accepted with all of their flaws, but women are not," she says. "Women are often categorized as being too shy or too loud or whatever for some big post. It's a problem in Greece, and it's a problem in our party."

The idea that Greek men are born leaders is even taught in school, says Natasa Spanoudi, a 25-year-old teacher.

"In history books about the Greek revolution, for instance, we're taught that the men with the big mustaches and giant muscles are the ones that saved us," she says. "Not the women, who fought too and just as bravely."

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Even As Progressives Take Lead In Greece, Women Remain Out Of Power

National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, John Odigie Oyegun

The All Progressives Congress has written President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that the judgment barring the involvement of soldiers in elections is complied with in the forthcoming polls.

The letter dated February 16, 2015 was addressed to Jega, but was copied to President Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the National Chairmen of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Director, Legal, the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), who authored the letter on behalf of the party, said with the recent court decision, Armed Forces personnel should not be deployed to provide security during elections.

The party was referring to a judgment delivered on January 29, 2015 by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Sokoto and another by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on February 16, 2015.

The APC in its letter, in which it profusely quoted parts of the court judgments, said it acknowledged the INECs frustrations at the illegal imposition of armed forces personnel into a purely civil election process.

The partys letter read in part, I am sure all well-meaning Nigerians share your deep-seated concern on the militarisation of our elections.

It is therefore imperative your good office and commission ensure henceforth, and until there is an enabling Act of the National Assembly, the court orders are obeyed and armed forces personnel are never again deployed in any form of security supervision of our elections.

Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court in his judgment on the suit marked: FHC/S/CS/29/2014, among others, restrained the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC from engaging the service of the Nigerian armed forces in the security supervision of elections in any manner whatsoever in any part of Nigeria, without an Act of the National Assembly.

Justice Abdul Aboki , in his lead judgment in the Ekiti State Governorship Election appeal on February 16, held that even the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian armed forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens, who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders.

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Poll: Obey court ruling on soldiers, APC writes President

The All Progressives Congress has written President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that the judgments barring the involvement of soldiers in elections is complied with in the forthcoming polls.

The letter, dated February 16, 2015, was addressed to Jega, but was copied to President Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the National Chairmen of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Director, Legal, the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), who authored the letter on behalf of the party, said with the recent court decisions, Armed Forces personnel should not be deployed to provide security during elections again.

The party was referring to a judgment delivered on January 29, 2015 by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Sokoto and another by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on February 16, 2015.

APC in its letter, in which it profusely quoted parts of the court judgments, said it acknowledged the INECs frustrations at the illegal imposition of armed forces personnel into a purely civil election process.

The partys letter wrote in part, I am sure all well-meaning Nigerians share your deep seated concern on the militarisation of our elections.

It is therefore imperative your good office and commission ensure, henceforth, and until there is an enabling Act of the National Assembly, the court orders are obeyed and armed forces personnel are never again deployed in any form of security supervision of our elections.

Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court in his judgment on the suit marked: FHC/S/CS/29/2014 among others, restrained the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC from engaging the service of the Nigerian armed forces in the security supervision of elections in any manner whatsoever in any part of Nigeria, without the Act of the National Assembly.

Justice Abdul Aboki, in his lead judgment in the Ekiti State Governorship Election appeal on February 16, held that even the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian armed forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens, who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders.

Whoever unleashed soldiers on Ekiti State, disturbed the peace of the election on June 21, 2014; acted in flagrant breach of the constitution and flouted the provisions of the Electoral Act, which required an enabling environment by civil authorities in the conduct of elections.

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APC writes Jega over order barring soldiers from polls

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, has urged Nigerians to use this season of penance to reflect, meditate and pray to God for peace and the rebuilding of our nation.

Buhari made this appeal in a message to Nigerian Christians, as they joined other Christians worldwide in observing 40 days of fasting and prayers popularly called Lent.

He urged Nigerians especially Christians to use the annual period of repentance, sacrifice, fasting, prayers and alms-giving to intercede for the country.

He said, My dear brothers and sisters, as we pray daily for mercy from God, let these 40 days be for us, a greater opportunity to change our ways and our hearts so that God can heal our land; which is in dire need of leaders and citizens who will show love and care for the poor and the rejected in our midst, for whom, Jesus Christ also sacrificed and died for.

Let us abhor discrimination in our country on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, gender and political orientation and work for a united, peaceful and progressive Nigeria where few men and women will no longer have the pleasure and privilege to deprive the majority of our common wealth.

As you observe this very important spiritual exercise, I will also join you in prayers to God for the strength you need to go through this season and for the forgiveness of the sins we all have committed against God and humanity.

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Buhari calls for prayers as Christians begin Lent

The All Progressives Congress in Borno State on Tuesday distanced itself from the torching of the campaign office of the Peoples Democratic Partys senatorial candidate, Senator Modu Sheriff, in Maiduguri on Monday during the rally of the presidential candidate of APC, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), on a campaign visit to the state.

The party, in a statement on Tuesday, said the campaign office of Sheriff, who is the immediate past governor of the state, was torched by some of his aggrieved supporters, who had some problems with him.

APC, while describing the attack on the building, which is along the popular Sir Kashim Ibrahim Way in Maiduguri, as highly condemnable and most uncivilised to say the least, insisted that it should be distanced from such criminality.

In the statement by the Chairman of the Borno State chapter of the party, Alhaji Ali Dalori said, We found it very shocking that the spokesman for the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Inuwa Bwala, rushed to the media just while the attack was going on, pointing accusing fingers at supporters of the APC.

Bwala even went as far as alleging that the state Governor, Kashim Shettima, ordered the destruction.

The manner in which Bwala rushed to press has further confirmed the findings of our investigations that the whole thing was orchestrated by the PDP affiliated to former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff with the sole intent of causing political violence so as to create basis for elections not to be conducted in Borno State on March 28 and April 11, 2015.

This is because Sheriff does not stand to gain anything politically since he has lost out from being the PDP candidate for Borno Central Senatorial zone while his anointed candidate for the governorship, Alhaji Mohammed Imam, does not have the slightest chance of winning the governorship.

The party chairman added, On January 24, 2015, which was the day before the PDP held its Presidential campaign rally in Maiduguri, Governor Kashim Shettima who is the leader of the APC in Borno State, issued a statement he personally signed and made frantic appeal to all citizens of the state, especially youth supporters of the APC, not to disrupt public peace but to respect President Goodluck Jonathan and be of good behaviour.

Governor Shettima even went further by holding meetings with leaders of the APC in various wards with the sole aim of ensuring APC supporters did not cause a breach of public peace.

Indeed, Governor Shettimas efforts paid off as the PDP held an entirely peaceful rally on January 24, 2015.

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Sheriffs thugs attacked his campaign office Borno APC