APC women, youths mobilize for Buhari, Osinbajo in Southwest

Ibadan, the Oyo State capital was practically locked down on Saturday as female and youth members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gathered to mobilize for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
Women and youth groups from the six states of Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Osun stormed the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium (formerly Liberty Stadium) in different customized APC uniforms to express their support and persuade others to join the second-term bid of the president and his deputy.
To the women, Buhari’s support for the various market groups with financial aids and social investment facilities including Tradermoni, Marketmoni and N-Power as well as the administration’s other achievements in infrastructure; security and anti-corruption make their re-election deserving.
The youths posited that re-electing the APC candidates is the only sure way of building and securing their future, pointing out that allowing another party to win might truncate their hopes of a better future.
The delegates were led by the wives of the state governors including Erelu Bisi Fayemi (Ekiti), Mrs Bolanle Ambode (Lagos), Mrs Olufunso Amosun (Ogun), Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu (Ondo), Mrs Kafayat Oyetola (Osun) and Mrs Florence Ajimobi (Oyo), who doubles as the chief host and Southwest Zonal Coordinator of the group.
Wives of the governors of Kebbi and Nassarawa were also in attendance alongside the national and zonal women leaders of the governing party.
To support the women, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, represented by a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mr Femi Pedro, Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) , Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), former and serving deputy governors, Ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, among other party stalwarts, were also in attendance.
Delivering a remark on behalf of the Wife of the President Hajia Aishat Buhari, the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, took time to educate the people on how to respond should the party supporters be challenged by anyone on why they are supporting the ruling party.
She also enjoined the women and youths to shun any form of violence but only cast their votes for the APC and monitor same. 
“Today if we say we are with the APC, it is right for anyone to ask us why. In that wise, what response are we going to give them? The response should be that, we are with good people. It is a party with integrity, it is a merciful party. APC and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is a compassionate party. This government is feeding students and has remembered and supported farmers. The food being prepared for the children are gotten from the farmers. The farmers are getting better.
“President Buhari and APC also remembered the market women. He remembered petty traders and supported them. And more importantly, tell them you are supporting APC because we are going to the next level. We are going to the next level and we are going higher in our lives, our career, our jobs and in other areas of the national life.
“This gathering is for women and youths. The youths must listen to what I am saying, look at all our mothers here, they are here because of you. Even if they (the oppositions) have lied to you, as youths let me tell you the truth. All that President Buhari is doing is because of you and for you.
“I want our youths to know that on the day of the election, they must not fight so as not to make our mothers weep. On the day of the election, we must go to the polls rejoicing because we know we are going higher to the next level.”
In her remark, the National Women Leader/National Coordinator, Hajia Salamatu Baiwa, said: “This President has done us good and it is our turn to say ‘thank you’ by going back to bring our families to re-elect our president, our father, Baba Buhari, so that he can consolidate on the good works he has started so as to sustain a beautiful future for our children.
“Remember, we can’t afford to leave our country in the hands of thieves, those who will sell all Nigerian assets and leave us (women and our children) stranded. Can we afford to do that? Can we afford to leave Nigeria in the hands of thieves? If that is the case, come all out with your children and then vote for President Buhari again so that Nigeria can be better, so that our children can have a greater future.”
The Southwest Zonal Youth Leader, Mr Lawal Kolade said: “We are here today on a historical mission. Nigerian belongs to all of us. To whom much is given, much is expected. Our dear president has done much for us to re-elect him, come February 16, 2019.
“What Buhari is doing is building the foundation for us because in the next ten years, he will be back home playing advisory roles for us. President Buhari is fixing the future of the youths and so we must help him to help ourselves. When we leave here, let us go from house-to-house, from street-to-street, local government-to-local government and from state-to-state to tell them the good job the president is doing.”
While expressing the conviction that the rally will strengthen the capacity of the party to get o the next level, Mrs Ajimobi in her welcome address, listed the many social welfare schemes of the Federal Government to help uplift the plight of the people. (NATION)