•Urges women to deliver their polling units
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku. Abubakar, yesterday said if he was elected president next year, his cabinet would be more than a 35 percent Beijing affirmative action.
Atiku, who contended that women were more resourceful than men, however, urged every woman to endeavour to deliver their polling units.
He assured them that his administration would implement more than the recommended gender affirmative action.
According to Atiku, while inaugurating the PDP Women Presidential Campaign Council, “We don’t need to be told the role of women. They are the largest voting population and loyal party members, hence, we carry women along at all times.”
Atiku recalled his visit to Sweden, when he was vice president, saying he observed that their prime minister, foreign minister, the education minister were all women, but he checked on members of his delegation, only a woman was in his team.
“We must comply with Beijin declaration. Nigeria can do more than that. By active participation during this campaigns, we will be able to identify the talents among you,” he said.
Atiku, therefore, challenged the PDP women, saying, “I’m challenging you, give us more than your one hundred per cent. If you want to be relevant deliver your polling unit.”
Explaining how important the women were, he cited the instance of the Option A4 era, saying, “The queue of women during option A4 was longer than that of men. Come out and campaign and make sure that your vote is protected.”
The National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who inaugurated the Women campaign council thanked Nigerian women whom he said were working hard to ensure the success of the PDP presidential candidate and his running mate.
He said women worked harder to see to the PDP, in all election, adding, “When you educate a woman, you empower a nation.”
According to Ayu, women were reasonably represented when PDP was in power and gave kudos to Atiku for recognising women like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and others.
He assured them that the PDP would ensure that the 35 gender affirmative action would be implemented by the party, because the PDP believed in the powers of women in governance.
In her speech, the PDP Women leader, Prof. Stella Atoe-Effah, said, “There is no gainsaying the fact that women form the largest chunk of the population of Nigerians voters. The Women Campaign Council will also have to deal with a large part of the youths. We know where these young women are, we will mobilise them to vote for PDP at all levels.
“It is important to state that women are natural influencers. We will put our God-given nature to use by influencing ourselves, our children, our husbands, our friends, our families, corporate bodies and the nation at large to vote for a great political colossus and a president that will move our country on the path of peace, prosperity, justice, equity and progress.”
