The All Progressives Congress (APC) Women’s national leader, Dr. Betta Edu, has urged women of the South-South geo-political zone to join others nationwide to mobilize 40 million votes for its presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, at the 2023 election.
Dr. Edu gave the charge at the APC South-South women’s rally, which was attended by the wife of the Nigerian President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari (represented by her daughter, Zara), and others at the U. J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, the Cross River state’s capital, southern Nigeria.
“The deal is 40 million votes for Tinubu.
“We are going for 40 million votes for Tinubu-Shettima.
“If you do not have your Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), you are wrong. Do not let anybody give you money as exchange for your PVC.
“Tinubu has empowered his wife, who is a Christian to rise to the position of senator.
“He has supported women and we have seen it.
“As you return to your states and local government areas, I urge you to mobilize women to cast our votes in support of Tinubu and Shettima,” she urged.
Also speaking, the chief host of the South-south APC women rally, Dr. Linda Ayade, expressed satisfaction with the massive turnout of women from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers states as well as the 18 local government areas of Cross River to support the presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu.
“Thank you all for showing up in Calabar for this big rally of the South-South women, who have gathered here from the six states to show their solidarity; to voice out their support for our incoming president, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I want to thank you all for the opportunity you have given us here in Calabar to be the host of this rally; to gather all the women from the South-South to come and shout out their support for our dear candidate of our great party,” said Dr. Ayade, convener of the APC South-South Women Campaign.
She urged the women, especially those who have not collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do so, noting that the PVC was their power to vote in the 2023 general election.
“I want to charge you all women of the great south-south that as you have your PVCs, if you know that you have not collected your PVC, make sure you pick up your PVC.
“We have to make our voices louder in action come February 2023 by filling out in our numbers.
“We have the numbers and we want our numbers to reflect on the ballot come February 2023 in support of our dear presidential candidate.
“Everybody that has spoken here has told you that he (Tinubu) is the incoming president of Nigeria come 2023; and we want to let the whole country know that the south-south women are solidly behind him.
“We, the progressive women of the south-south, are here to reiterate that support and to say that ‘yes’ we are ready for the renewed hope for Nigeria,” said Dr. Ayade.
Similarly, the senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, commended the South-South APC women for their presence and overwhelming support for the Tinubu-Shettima candidacy.
She reiterated the promise of the APC presidential candidate to support women to attain elective and appointive political positions beyond the 35 per cent affirmative action as well as create a more viable economic environment for women in business to thrive.
There were goodwill messages from the governor, Professor Ben Ayade; the APC governorship candidate, Prince Bassey Otu; and the Cross River state party chairman, Dr. Alphonsus Eba, including a frontline party stalwart, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.
