The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday inaugurated the women’s wing of the Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign headed by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.
The team comprises over 1, 200 women drawn from all the states of the federation.
Speaking at the event held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged the role of women that contributed to his two-term victory at the polls.
Buhari expressed joy at the launch of the women presidential campaign council and thanked the women for showcasing their value towards the victory of the party in the 2023 elections.
Buhari said he was proud of the contributions of the First Lady, who had played key roles in the victory of the party, especially in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
“Giving demographics and voting sentiments, I am sure women will bring potential votes to the party in the 2023 election,” he said.
The president who was represented by his chief of staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, therefore, appealed to women to massively support the presidential candidate, Mr. Bola Tinubu and running mate, Mr. Kashim Shettima, to win the 2023 presidential election.
Buhari further noted that throughout his political journey and his tenure as president, women have remained the most loyal and supportive group in his mission for a better Nigeria despite the challenges.
“They should extend this same support to our presidential and vice presidential candidates. As we prepare for the general elections, my administration has continued to listen to the strong voices of our women for gender justice, social inclusion and adequate participation in the affairs of their country and in accordance with global, regional, and national conventions, agreements, protocols, and policies to which Nigeria is a signatory,” he said.
The president further directed the attorney general and minister of justice in conjunction with the minister of women affairs to partner with the office of the first lady to ensure speedy passage of legislations that would effect constitutional as well as legal change aimed at creating a level playing field for women to be carried along and take the APC to greater heights.
In her remarks, Mrs. Buhari tasked women to work hard towards ensuring the victory of APC at the 2023 polls
She said women have changed the pattern of elections in Nigeria since 2015.
“They have led to the success of our party in the election. Today, we thank God as we meet to inaugurate the women Presidential Campaign Team; while men are in the front of the ‘war,’ women are the foot soldiers gearing the success of the election,” she said.
In his speech, national chairman of the APC, Mr. Abdullahi Adamu, said there is “a new hope for Nigeria,” adding that the party will soon unveil its strategy.
He expressed confidence that with the women’s team, there will be no stopping the party’s victory in 2023.
He said if the women, who are larger in number, stand by their avowed support, APC was ready to tap from their potential and ultimately deliver victory to Tinubu and Shettima during the presidential election.
He said Buhari will hand over power to an APC candidate in 2023.
In his remarks, the director general of the APC PCC and governor of Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong, charged the women to dwell on issues and avoid character assassination, hate speech and propaganda.
He advised them to “go all over Nigeria, particularly into the grassroots and sell the agenda and vision of Tinubu and Shettima, whose pedigree for women empowerment is widely known.”
He said the idea of a women campaign wing, which is a unique innovation of the party, was not to create a parallel body for the campaigns.
According to him, the group is, rather, a complementary strategy that the PCC has devised to ensure that women are fully involved throughout the campaigns.
The minister of women affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, however, called on Tinubu to allocate 40 per cent of appointments to women if he clinches the presidency.
She said with women occupying 40 per cent of appointive positions, the country would be set for a balanced leadership.
Also speaking Tinubu assured that the country, under his presidency, would experience prosperity, security and break away from the shackles of poverty characterising the nation.
Reacting to the outcome of a meeting convened at the weekend by northern APC Christian members, Tinubu described former speaker of the house of representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara and a former secretary to the government of the federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal who are the arrowheads of the group as a “band of impostors.”
Tinubu insisted that the duo lacks the capacity to speak on behalf of Christians and Muslims in the country. He particularly frowned at Dogara and Lawal for promoting hate speeches and whipping up emotions, with the aim at setting the country ablaze.
