The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the population and voting pattern of Nigerian women have justified his pledge to give them 35 per cent of his appointments, if elected on Feb. 16.
Abubakar at PDP Women Conference conference with the theme “Call for Action” held on Friday in Abuja said he had no fear of handing over the country to women.
He commended the women for organising the conference, saying that in his three decades in politics, women had been consistent in voting and he had enjoyed enormous support from them.
“I have practically seen it, when we used to vote through queues not through ballot papers, if I stand as a candidate and I turn my back to look at the lines that are supporting me, the women queues have always been three times those of the men.
“Therefore, it is the reason why we said we are going to give you more than 35 per cent, because your numbers and your pattern of voting justified that commitment.
“Therefore, between youth and women you have 70 per cent of the government. This is to prepare you to take over governance, to take over this country and make it work again,” Abubakar said.
The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said that women would play key role in electing Abubakar into power in February.
“It is you that will do it because women are committed and dependable,” Saraki said.
The PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, who attended the conference with his wife, described Atiku as a President that Nigeria had been waiting for.
Secondus said that Atiku was resourceful, energetic, industrious and innovative with capability to rule the country.
“When Abubakar is elected this country will be rated as the number one on the African continent,” he said.
“The forthcoming election will be watched across the globe. Nigeria will make the world stand still to watch the Feb. 16 election. So, there should be no manipulation, ” Secondus said.
PDP National Women Leader, Hajia Mariya Waziri, said that women with about 60 per cent of the voting population had great role to play in electing Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria.
“It is time for action. It is time to talk to our fellow women to convince them to vote for Atiku, ” Waziri said.
Mrs Titi Abubakar, the first wife of the PDP Presidential Candidate, urged women to go out to canvass for votes, vote for Abubakar and protect their votes to make sure they counted.
“We should not make ourselves dancers, it is now time to go back to our polling units and wards, and propagate Abubakar to make Nigeria a great country,” Titi said.
Mrs Rukayat Abubakar, also a wife of Atiku, said that one of the challenges facing Nigeria was that the leadership potential of women had yet to be fully harnessed.
Rukayat called on women to reject the narrative that they belonged to the kitchen,
saying women had always been at the centre of events.
She described Atiku and Obi as the right candidates for the Nigerian presidency.
Mrs Jamila Abubakar, another wife of the PDP Presidential candidate, urged women not to mortgage their future by
selling their votes in the Feb. 16 elections.
Jamila urged women to vote for Abubakar, vote for better job, food security, better healthcare system and improved education, which Atiku and Obi had pledged to provide.
Mrs Margret Obi, Wife of PDP presidential candidate’s running mate, Peter Obi, also called on women to vote massively for Atiku for guaranteed jobs, security, food security and to get Nigeria working again.
At the event were female lawmakers, women from different civil society organisations, support groups and different professions
