Okoya-Thomas Tasks Female APC Members on Membership Drive

By Oladipupo Awojobi

The Women Leader of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, has urged APC women to attract more members into the party.

Hon. Okoya-Thomas, who promised that the party would record a minimum of two million votes from the women in the state, told the women in Shomolu and Ikorodu Local Government Areas of the state to visit markets to encourage women and men to join the ruling party enmasse and mobilise them for the collection of PVC.

Okoya spoke as a special guest of honour at a One-day Public Enlightenment Programme on the 2019 General Elections in Shomolu with the theme: “Spread The News on Permanent Voters Card (PVC)” on Tuesday.

The event was organised by the APC women in the local government, and held at the party secretariat with several women and party members in attendance.

Okoya, a former member of the House of Representatives, stated that the event coincided with the stakeholders’ meeting by the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on collection of PVC and membership drive at the party secretariat on the same day.

“Go to markets and promote PVC collection and membership registration. The members would determine who would represent us in various offices since we will now adopt direct primaries.

“The work is better done by women because men get tired easily. Our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emphasised membership registration at the stakeholders’ meeting he called today.

“We need more members in the party, both men and women. We must support the Chairman of the local government as he is taking good care of women.

“Other local government chairmen should emulate him. The 2019 general elections is left for the women to handle and our party can never be divided no matter what happens,” she said.

On the chances of the APC in the 2019 general elections, Okoya-Thomas said that the party would win at both the state and federal levels, and pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State had done well.

Speaking at the Lagos “East Senatorial District Women Forum Visitation” in Ikorodu LG secretariat on Wednesday, Okoya-Thomas warned that no woman must be left behind in the scheme of things, while thanking God for the local governments under the district.

She made reference to what Tinubu said at the stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat on Tuesday on PVC collection and membership drive.

According to her, “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said we should continue the registration of members and mobilise people to collect PVC. We need more members. We invited all your local government chairmen and gave them registration forms.
“We promised to deliver two million women votes to the party in the state. We must continue with the registration and Asiwaju Tinubu has said that any erring chairman would be penalised. Women will record more numbers this year.

“The date of PVC collection has been extended, so we should continue to drive people to collect their PVC. We have to continue the work till February, 2019.”

The women leader advised the women to encourage their children into politics, saying that they have been sent to schools and that they could start from councillorship position.

She advised them to encourage youths to mobilise people for party registration, and warned that any party chairman that fails to co-operate would be dealt with by the leadership of the party.

She said: “any chairman that troubles women would be dealt with. Let us start the work immediately. We will encourage any chairman that does well for the people. They should do the work of the party as it should be done.

Women Leader of Lagos East Senatorial District, Yeye Fausat Adeola Gbadebo, observed that a state women leader was visiting the division for the first time and commended her for her kindness and love for women in the state.

Yeye Gbadebo called on women in the state to continue to support Okoya-Thomas, saying that she meant well for the womenfolk and the party in general.

The event was attended by party leaders, members and residents of the area, and a former Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Princess Adenrele Adeniran.