Abstract
This chapter qualitatively underscores the epistemological realities such as origins, ethics, structure, roles and validity of First Ladyship in Africa, which is dichotomised into rightist and leftist variants as they determine to a great extent the performance of regimes in modern democracy. Calling attention to the overwhelming influence that First Ladies wield on governance, societal development and national peace through private or public, direct or indirect, immediate or remote politicking, the chapter laments their unaccountability which owes to their leadership illegitimacy and thus proposes the reconceptualization and legalisation of their office, albeit as a social, apolitical agency for women and children affairs so as to limit their often-distractive interference in regimes and establish for them a constitutionalised accountability platform.
The term “Afropolicom” was coined and first used by Eweka et al. (2017) in “The African Policom Stew”, introductory chapter to Political Communication in Africa edited by A. Olukotun and S. Omotoso, published by Springer, to describe Political Communication based on African ethics, philosophy and idiosyncrasies.
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Eweka, O. (2020). Working Behind the Scenes: Rethinking Peace and Development in the First Lady Illusory Continuum of Afropolicom. In: Omotoso, S. (eds) Women's Political Communication in Africa. Contributions to Political Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42827-3_9
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