Many participants trooped out on Saturday for the South-South rally of the All Progressives Congress Women Campaign team in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The event, which was held at the popular U.J Esuene Sports Stadium, saw Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and chairperson of the women’s campaign team, lead a delegation of top female politicians, which also had Hajiya Nana, spouse of Tinubu’s running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.
Although the First Lady and grand patron of the women’s team, Aisha Buhari, was absent at the rally, she was represented by her daughter, Zahra Buhari-Indimi, who turned up for the rally in a colourful ‘Aso Ebi,’ designed with the APC emblem.
On arrival in Calabar, the delegation paid a courtesy call to the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Otu V, who was represented by the Prime Minister.
In her speech, the First Lady disclosed she was optimistic that women and youths of the region “will deliver in the forthcoming general election,” noting that the ”party stands for peace and progress.”
“I, therefore, urged all our women and youths to be fully committed to the campaign,” she charged.
In the same vein, Tinubu’s wife extolled the qualities of women from the South-South region and pledged her commitment to ensuring that women’s issues are prioritised if the APC presidential candidate and his running mate were elected.
She said, “The APC women campaign team called on women in this region to support our dear party in its quest to win the upcoming elections.”
While appreciating the female politicians including his wife, Linda, gathered at the stadium for choosing Cross River State for the women’s campaign flag-off in the South-South region, Governor Ben Ayade said he was impressed by their leadership qualities.
He said, “Our support for Tinubu is not because he is perfect. Our support for Tinubu is because of his proven excellent track record as a people person who can consolidate on the gains of the present, drive inclusive growth, and lead our country to become more prosperous.
“The Tinubu-Shettima ticket is the most experienced and the most progressive combination available on the ballot.”
In a related development, the APC National Women Leader, Dr Betta Edu, who hails from Cross River, assured the women of her commitment to ensuring women’s interests were protected and urged women to come out en masse to deliver a record number of votes for the APC candidate.
Source: Punch Newspaper
