Buhari out as APC begs women to back Tinubu/Shettima ticket

• Tinubu: Dogara and Lawal are APC imposters, instigators of hate• Vote for PDP and restore unity to Nigeria, says Atiku• G-5 Governors out as PDP interrupts presidential campaign in Uyo• Emmanuel, Okowa, Diri, Obaseki, South-South PDP actors unite

President Muhammadu Buhari and First Lady Aisha yesterday called on women to overwhelmingly support All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima to win the election presidential election of 2023, in the continuity of the gesture extended to Buhari in 2015 and 2019.

The president, who recognized the role of women that saw him emerge victorious from his two terms, made the call during the inauguration of the APC Women's Presidential Campaign Committee which met held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, President Buhari further noted that throughout his political career and tenure as President, women have remained the most loyal and supportive group in his mission for a better Nigeria despite the challenges.

"They should extend that same support to our presidential and vice presidential candidates. As we prepare for the general election, my administration has continued to listen to the strong voices of our women for justice between gender, social inclusion and adequate participation in the affairs of their country and in accordance with the conventions, agreements, protocols and policies to which Nigeria is a signatory,” he said.

The President further directed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in conjunction with the Minister of Women's Affairs, to partner with the Office of the First Lady to ensure the speedy passage of laws that would bring about change constitutional and legal frameworks aimed at creating a level playing field for women to be coached and take the APC to greater heights.

In his remarks, APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Managing Director and Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong instructed women to focus on issues and avoid defamation, hate speech and propaganda.

He advised the women's team "to go all over Nigeria, especially to the grassroots and sell the agenda and vision of Tinubu and Shettima, whose pedigree for women's empowerment is widely known ". He said the idea of ​​a women's campaign wing, which is a unique innovation of the party, was not to create a parallel campaign body.

According to him, the group is rather a complementary strategy that the CCP has devised to ensure that women are fully involved throughout the campaigns.

APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu said he is confident that with the women's team now in place, nothing can stop the party's victory in 2023.

He said that if women, who are outnumbered, maintain their stated support, APC stands ready to harness their potential and ultimately deliver victory to Tinubu and Shettima in the presidential election.

In her address, the Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District and wife of presidential candidate, Oluremi Tinubu, said a Tinubu-Shettima presidency would be the “best option” for Nigerian women.

Women's Affairs Minister Pauline Tallen, however, called on Tinubu to allocate 40% of nominations to women if he wins the presidency. The former Deputy Governor of Plateau State said that with women in 40% of appointed positions, the country would be ready for balanced leadership.

The Women's Wing Presidential Campaign Team, made up of more than 1,200 women from across the country, has a specific mission to boost the party's quest for equitable gender representation in the electoral process. The team is led by Aisha Buhari.

Also speaking amid cries of "Jagaban" and "City boy" praising the hall, Tinubu assured that the country under his presidency would experience prosperity, security, misery and break free from the chains of poverty that characterized the nation once elected.

Reacting to the outcome of a meeting convened over the weekend, Tinubu described former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and former Federation Government Secretary (SGF) Babachir Lawal and the group they represent as a bunch of imposters.

Tinubu insisted the duo lacked the ability to speak on behalf of the country's Christians and Muslims. He particularly disapproved of the duo for promoting hate speech and stirring up emotions, with the aim of setting the country ablaze.

MEANWHILE, Atiku said the PDP would rescue Nigeria from its myriad problems and restore the country's unity. He made the vow while kicking off his presidential campaign at the Nest of Champions yesterday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Atiku, who pleaded with Nigerians to vote for him and the party, said the PDP...