Aisha Buhari to APC: Don’t Use Free Forms to Relegate Women in 2023

*Over 700 women nationwide aspiring for party’s ticket
Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has charged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not to use the excuse of giving women free nomination forms to relegate them to the background in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

She made the call at the weekend, at the female APC aspirants’ summit put together by the Office of the Women Leader of the ruling party with support from the International Republican Institute (IRI), at the State House Conference Center, Abuja.

APC had last month declared free nomination forms for female aspirants who intend to contest.
Mrs. Buhari said though she doesn’t believe in free gift, she expressed confidence that the party would not relegate women to the background.

She said: “I stand before you today as a mother, as a leader, as a sister, believing that today’s summit will make a difference in our lives as women and mothers of the nation.

“To the chairman of our party, governors and party executives, I commend your efforts in supporting women over the years. However, I would like to draw your attention that it is now time to believe in women more and show more solidarity with them.

“Distinguished guests, it is important to mention the efforts made by our great party towards promoting women participation in politics. I appreciate and commend the recent party’s gesture in offering free nomination forms to female aspirants. Honorable Emma Eneukwu representing the chairman of our great party, I don’t want the party to use the free forms as a means of sidelining women at the end of the day.”
She added: “I don’t believe in free gifts. But with Dr. Beta there as our leader, I believe the APC will not relegate women to the backseat.”

According to Mrs. Buhari, while giving out free forms has created more opportunities for women to contest for elective positions, it however, does not assure aspirants of success in the forthcoming elections.
“I believe that the huge task lies ahead of us. We must solidify our unity of purpose and work hard towards creating an impactful space within the political arena.

“Your decision to contest gives a lot of inspiration to women and I would like to reaffirm my support to all the women contestants,” she added.
She noted that countries that successfully tackled COVID-19 pandemic were those led by women, affirming that the world belongs to women.

Aisha Buhari also urged women to shun violence, jealousy and hatred for one another and must also believe and project the party ideals.

She advised the women to seek the development of their various communities, warning that unless the communities are developed, those at the center are wasting their time.
Also speaking, the wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, expressed confidence that the women are coming and won’t be stopped from getting a space at the table.

She said: “There’s a question I’ve been asking and I’m still waiting for someone to give me a satisfactory answer. When you go to the hospital to have a child, whether the child is a boy or girl, we pay the same hospital fees.

“Is there anybody here that has paid higher school fees for boys and for girls? Is there anybody that paid a bus fare? airplane tickets, train fare? Did you pay more or less because you’re a woman or a man? Do we pay the same thing? Get ready, get ready, because it’s time for us to take our seats at the table.

“And as the representative of the national chairman said, we must follow through. You must go all the way to victory. Because when you sit at the table, you’re there to fight to ensure that it is well with the girls or the women. You’re there to fight for your mothers, your grandmothers, your daughters, your sisters, your aunties, your nieces, you’re also there to fight for your fathers and your sons and your brothers.

“You’re there to fight to make sure that the women are given their place at the table. You’re there to fight to ensure that we no longer see gender based violence, you’re there to fight to make sure the girls get into school, you’re there to fight to make sure when it’s time for jobs, because you are there we will be given jobs, you’re there to fight to make sure when decisions are being made concerning women. Women have the inputs.”

On his part, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, urged the women to work hard to achieve results, saying the party had done its part by giving them the free forms to encourage them.
Eneukwu, who represented the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said the party decided to give women prominence this time around because of their numbers and what they could bring to the table.

According to him: “To whom much is given more is expected. Leadership is important. The National Woman leader spoke so well, and you gave her a standing ovation. But it is beyond that.  It is beyond speaking well. I’m a Christian and the Bible says that faith without work is dead. If you can match this your ovation with action…In a politics, nobody rewards laziness. Nobody rewards inefficiency.

“You must stand up to be counted. If because you are women, and you are expecting that elections will be awarded to you, it doesn’t happen in this country anyway. This is Democracy.

“What we are trying to do in APC is to encourage women to use their  numbers, just like the national woman  leader has encouraged if you use your numbers, I’m sure you don’t need to beg anybody. The men will come and negotiate with your at the table because you have the Joker.”

Earlier in her opening remarks, APC National Women Leader, Edu, disclosed that over 700 women are aspiring for various positions across the country on the platform of the ruling party.

She lamented that some of the women aspirants were being threatened to step down, others were being told that they are not good enough to run, while others on the basis of religion were also told they can’t contest and won’t be voted for.