Indeed the 65th birthday of a political icon and the Woman Leader of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, who was born on January 20, 1957, is worth celebrating.
The meteoric rise of Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas in politics is a thing of joy, and her life is dedicated to the service of humanity, especially women, and her teeming followers as well as the residents of the cosmopolitan state see her as the Amazon of Lagos State politics and a rallying point for Lagos women.
Joining politics for Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas in 2001 after an enviable career in the private sector was a dream come true and she has not reneged on her promise of using politics to affect lives and develop the society.
No wonder, Okoya-Thomas envinces joy and radiates happiness each time an opportunity presents itself for her to reach out to the masses and the women.
The profile of Hon. Okoya-Thomas has continued to soar higher in many parts of the country, and she is committed to serving humanity, believing that the womenfolk deserves a better place in the Nigerian political space.
Her appointment as the Woman Leader of the Lagos State APC few years back before her recent reappointment could not be controverted as she is “a round peg in a round hole.”
A woman of many parts, Hon. Jumoke Okoya Thomas is definitely one of the few respected women in Nigerian politics who much believe in the protection of the interest of women in the society.
To her associates, colleagues and teeming political followers, that Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas is celebrating 65 years of age is a thing of joy.
Okoya-Thomas is appreciated for being a selfless woman, who wants the best for all and she is passionately contributing her quota to the development of the state and the country generally.
Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, who is the first daughter of the late iconic businessman, Sir. Omolade Okoya-Thomas, served three successful terms at the Federal House of Representatives and she believes that women must be disciplined to be successful in politics.
Her sojourn in the green chamber is still being remembered with nostalgia because she touched many lives in the Lagos Island Federal Constituency, which she represented then, and facilitated many projects into the area.
All these did not go unnoticed as people have not stopped talking about her, making her a reference point each time the occasion arises for such.
“The first rung on the ladder of success for any woman is discipline. Even when all men are coming, how many men can a woman have anyway? A woman has to be disciplined in politics and separate pleasure from the business,” she once said.
She also believes that women must learn to love one another to be successful in anything they decide to do.
“Let us be natural and honest with ourselves, a lot of women don’t like making friends with one another. Let’s learn to love ourselves and build a relationship that would not allow the men to come between us,” she explained.
On her involvement in politics, which people said was against her father’s wish, the Lagos APC Woman Leader said, though her father was against her involvement in politics, she was able to let him understand why she must take the
step.
“To him, the family name was important and had been built on a good reputation for decades; for any of his children to go into the murky water of politics, it could tarnish the name,” she said, adding, “But I told him that someone had to pave the way for others, especially women. In this vocation, we needed a voice and he agreed and I have enjoyed his support since my foray into politics and the family name has not been scandalised in any way,” she said.
Okoya-Thomas was in the forefront for the mobilisation of the women in the state to support the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari and the election of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in 2019.
She has also promised to ensure that women come out enmasse to vote for the APC in the 2023 general elections in the state.
Mrs. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas is a graduate of Public Administration from the University of Phoenix, USA.
She also attended the Burleigh College, Manchester, United Kingdom and Alliance Francais, Paris for further education.
She worked in the banking sector for 15 years and was a manager at the African International Bank. She left banking job for politics in 2001.
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