By Joel Oladele, Abuja
There was jubilation in the camp of All Progressive Congress’ women as the Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party approved one of their demands that women contesting elective positions should be running on free nomination forms
Breaking the news to the journalists on Thursday at the national secretariat of the party, the newly elected women leader, Dr Betta Edu was full of joy and appreciation to the leadership of the party for being gender sensitive
According to Dr. Betta, the kind gesture extended to the women by the leadership of the party will spur them to be more actively involved in politics and will stop at nothing to ensure that APC is victorious in 2023 elections
“I have the permission of the great, very experienced, gender sensitive Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu to actually announce to the Nigerian women that APC as a party has provided a platform for them to run.
“One of the very strong points which the Chairman promised when he took over as the Chairman of APC is that he will mainstream women , he will give us a seat at the table. He will ensure that we continue to be a voice and continue to contribute our quota to the development of the country.
“Our President has done a lot on mainstreaming women supported by his dear wife, Her Excellency Hajia Aisha Buhari, a mother with conscience, a mother who has performed exceptionally well. And to further buttress that point that we belong to the ruling party, the largest party in Africa and we want to make strong statement that we stand by inclusion, mainstreaming, for women.
“The party has gone ahead to approve that women will be running on a free nomination form in our party. Before we jump, they have thrown the ball to our court. Before now we have women say we cannot afford the form, we are vulnerable, we are unable but now you have been given the platform with the greatest chance of emerging as a winner of an election because you will be running on the ticket of the ruling party. Not just the ruling party but the party that has performed, a party that is gender sensitive. A party that has provided welfare for Nigerians. A party that is ready to mainstream women. You will be running on this platform.”
She further used the occasion to charge women to ensure that they have their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and be fully ready to participate in the 2023 general elections.
“The ball is now in our court, women we must rise up. We are going into series of processes that will lead up to the 2023 elections. We must come out, we must be actively involved. Go from door to door and sensitise women on the INEC voters registration that is going on. We must go from door to door at the grassroot level, at every level to remind every single woman that they should register. We must also ask them where is your PVC.
“They must dust it and keep it ready because that is our power. That is the power of the APC women, that is the power of the Nigerian women and that is the power to mainstream women as our party APC is already doing.
“Beyond that we are going to do a lot of work, from lobbying to sensitisation to financial mobilisation for the grassroot women. From the polling units all the way up, welfare packages, mega medical health outreaches, skill acquisition and all other interventions that will begin almost immediately.
“Please, tell your sisters, brothers and tell the next woman it is time to join APC. It is time to join the mega train. It is time to be mainstreamed and we must come all out with dedication to deliver. Remember, women we have the strongest voice, women we have the strongest determination. Women are those group of people that can’t be pushed around, we can’t be bribed, we can’t be bought over. We are APC women, we know what we want. We will go all out. We will fight for it. And we will achieve it. This indeed is our opportunity.”