The Wife of Nigeria’s President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has inaugurated the women wing of the presidential campaign team of the country’s governing party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the inauguration ceremony attended by the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, Mrs Buhari, while performing the flagging off of the team at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, tasked women to work hard towards ensuring the victory of APC’s candidate in the 2023 election.
Mrs Buhari said since 2015 women have changed the pattern of elections in Nigeria.
“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.
She asked that the women and the party leadership should sign a pact, stressed, “Our winning stretch remains unbroken.”
The epoch-making event had an assemblage of bigwigs of the APC from across the country, including President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
Also at the event were the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu; as well as the wives of the candidate and his running mate, Senator Remi Tinubu and Mrs Nana Shettima.
Others were the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the APC, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Governors Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Abdullahi Ganduje, of Kano; Women Leader of the APC, Beta Edu; other leaders of the party and National Assembly members elected under the APC.
President Buhari, represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim, expressed joy at the launch of the women presidential campaign team 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.
He said, “Giving demographics and voting sentiments, I am sure women will bring potential votes to the party in the 2023 election.”
National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, said there is “a new hope for Nigeria,” saying that the party will soon unveil its strategy.
Adamu urged the women to vote for APC and that they were more than encouraged with the women’s support, assuring that “we will give you the backing.”
He boasted that President Buhari will hand over power to an APC candidate in 2023.
Earlier in her address, the APC National Woman Leader, Dr Betta Edu said, “2023 is a mandate we must deliver.”
Dr Edu assured that from the states to the local governments and all sectors, the APC women will deliver on their mandate.
“We believe with over 40 million registered voters, women have over 50 percent of registered voters in the country,” she added.
Minister of Women Affairs, Paulen Tallen, said: “We are demanding nothing more than 40 percent of our elective position. Our First Lady has done so much to ensure that women are represented in various offices.”
Tallen demanded total support for Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
The Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu who thanked the women for their support, urged them to give their best and ensure the party’s victory in the general elections next year.
Tinubu who also said that “a new hope has come for Nigeria,” emphasized that a nation is not just built on sentiments and hate speech.
