2023: Buhari, Adamu will Determine APC Presidential Candidate, Says Women Leader

•Declares party won’t give ticket to anyone not women-friendly

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

In what seemed like a strategic hint of what to come, the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Beta  Edu, yesterday, said President Muhammadu Buhari, the  National Chairman of the party, Senator  Abdulahi Adamu and some other party leaders, would decide the choice candidate of the party for the presidential run.

Edu, who spoke at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, when she paid a solidarity visit to the women wing of the Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Team, said all the presidential aspirants coming out from the ruling APC were all good and above average.

She, therefore, said the women wing of the party would negotiate with all the presidential aspirants to secure their commitments and what the women stood to gain if given the opportunity to lead Nigeria.

“The aspirants that are coming out for the presidential tickets in APC are not in any way even close to average; they are high above and are far above board. I have not seen one that is not good.

“Now, as a party, we will come together under the leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari and of course, the national chairman and other leadership structures of our party to decide who will be the candidate of our dear party.

“Before that decision is made, there is something we must do immediately. If indeed you are supporting a candidate in APC, you are supporting Governor Yahaya Bello, you must go out now and begin the door to door mobilisation for registration. Go door to door and begin the campaign for voter registration,” she said.

Edu, however, declared that the ruling party would not hand its ticket to any presidential candidate that was not friendly to women.

Her words: “But one thing is certain, APC will not give its tickets to a presidential candidate, who will not favour women. We know our president and all the glass ceilings he has broken; you know our party chairman and all the glass ceilings he has broken for women – giving us free forms.”

Earlier, Director, Women Mobilisation, Hope 23, Yahaya Bello Campaign Organisation, Ms. Zara  Onyinye, said a candidate like Bello, who supported women would definitely stand the chance of winning the election, because women formed the highest number of voters across Nigeria.

Onyinye said: “That person, who has shown that he has the women in his heart, he has love for women, he creates enabling environment for women, he gave them that opportunity to sell and that person is Yahaya Bello and all the women have shown that he has indicated interest as the person, who supported them, that same person they’re going to support and so that stands him out of all the aspirants going for this election.”

Also, Secretary to Kogi State Government, Folashade Ayoade, said Bello loved women and cared for them in his government.

“I need to just let you know of the fact that Yahaya Bello loves women; he  gives us a place of honour. In Kogi State, as we stand from 2016 to date, I have been the SSG – a woman, not just that, the head of service, has been a woman. We have a pioneer pension commission, in all the 21 local government areas, all the vice chairmen are women,” She added.