The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Hajia Nana Shettima, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress have called on Nigerian women to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made on Monday in Abuja at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Women Campaign Council, where the First Lady urged women to return to their various communities and campaign for the party at all levels.
Oluremi Tinubu also announced plans to hold six zonal mega rallies, culminating in a grand finale in Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.
She stated, “I bring you greetings from Mr. President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who believes in the power of women and cares about Nigerian women. Let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for standing with him. Thank you for believing in the Renewed Hope Agenda. Thank you for your determination to vote for Mr. President for a second term. Thank you for praying and for not giving up on Nigeria.
The theme of this year’s rally, ‘Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reforms to Prosperity,’ is not just a slogan. It is our reality. Our economy is stabilising, inflation is coming down and foreign reserves are growing. Investors are returning to Nigeria, and farmers are receiving more support. Our children in the universities are now able to access student loans through NELFUND, just to mention a few.
“As you go back to your various states, tell everyone that you have a leader who is bold enough to take difficult decisions at the beginning. He is a leader who can be trusted to lead us into prosperity. Let us show the world that Nigerian women have spoken. We speak with one voice, and we will vote APC again so that the solid foundation that has been laid can be built upon.”
The First Lady further disclosed that various women support groups backing the administration had been brought together under the APC Presidential Women Campaign Council.
“For clarity, every other support group that women have has been collapsed into one structure. We had a meeting today involving the various groups, including the Torchbearers, Tinubu Support Group, Tinubu Again and several others.
What you will see on the ballot is APC. We are here to promote APC, nothing less. From the presidency to the governorship, National Assembly and state assemblies, I hope we all understand that. That is what we are here for.”
In her remarks, Hajia Nana Shettima asked women from the six geopolitical zones to take the campaign message back to their communities and rally support for the Tinubu administration.
Describing the 2027 election as a period to “pay back” the President, she highlighted programmes implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative, including scholarships, women’s empowerment and assistance for elderly people and persons with disabilities.
She, “And to our women, my women everywhere, those who came from the North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-West, South-South and South-East, please, I want you to take this message back to your different localities. Please, 2027 is a payback time.
“To our mother, the First Lady, she has done a lot for our women, our children and our men as well. As the Vice-Chair of the Renewed Hope Initiative, we have crisscrossed the 36 states of the federation. I have been to, I think, only Anambra and Rivers, where I have not been within the past three years.
READ ALSO: First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Honoured With ‘Oso Di Eme 1’ Title In Imo
“We have crisscrossed this nation, giving support and scholarships to our students, empowering our women, looking after our aged people and persons with disabilities, and supporting our students across the board. So, please, I want you to take this message back home. It is time for us to pay back our dear President.”
The Chairperson of the Governors’ Spouses Forum and wife of the Kwara State Governor, Olufolake AbdulRazaq, also pledged the commitment of APC women to the party’s 2027 campaign.
She said representatives at the event came from all 36 states and the 774 local government areas, adding that beneficiaries had received grants under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
AbdulRazaq said the women were prepared to extend the mobilisation drive to communities across the six geopolitical zones.
She stated, “Your Excellency, we are very happy to be here today. We know what we are doing in all the states, and we see the impact and the effects. Even our mothers, all of you have received grants through the Renewed Hope Initiative for our elderly people, women, persons with disabilities and young people.
“So today, we are happy to gather here, and it is APC all the way, from top to bottom. All our great women are here, and we are ready for all the campaigns across the states and the zones. We are ready to vote all APC candidates.
“Your Excellency, we assure you that we are ready and ready to go. We are going to follow the man who knows the road, President Bola Tinubu. All our delegates have come from every corner of Nigeria, representing over 774 local government areas and 36 states of the federation. We are ready to mobilise and vote APC.”
The Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, said the council was focused on bringing women across the country together and coordinating their mobilisation efforts ahead of the election.
Yari described women as an important voting bloc and said their involvement would be critical to the party’s performance in 2027. He also pledged the council’s support for a coordinated campaign structure.
According to him, the turnout of women leaders from across the country at the inauguration reflected their preparedness to mobilise voters from the grassroots through communities and polling units.
The event featured the formal inauguration of the APC Presidential Women Campaign Council as well as a musical performance. APC women leaders and delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory attended the gathering.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential election.
Tinubu is seeking a second term and faces challengers including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement.