The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said the population and voting pattern of Nigerian women have justified his pledge to give them 35 per cent of his appointments, if elected on February 16.
Abubakar at the PDP Women 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 in his three decades in politics, women had been consistent in voting and he had enjoyed enormous support from them.
He said: “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.”
The President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said 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, Uche Secondus, who attended the conference with his wife, described Abubakar as a President that Nigeria had been waiting for.
Secondus said Abubakar was resourceful, energetic, industrious and innovative with capability to rule the country.
He said: “When Abubakar is elected, this country will be rated as the number one on the African continent.
“The forthcoming election will be watched across the globe.
“Nigeria will make the world stand still to watch the February 16 election.
“So, there should be no manipulation.”
PDP National Woman Leader, Hajia Mariya Waziri, said women with about 60 per cent of the voting population had great role to play in electing Abubakar as the next president of Nigeria.
Waziri said: “It is time for action.
“It is time to talk to our fellow women to convince them to vote for Atiku.”
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.
She said: “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.”
Rukayat Abubakar, also a wife of the presidential candidate, said one of the challenges facing Nigeria was that the leadership potential of women had yet to be fully harnessed.
She called on women to reject the narrative that they belonged to the kitchen, adding that women had always been at the centre of events.
She described Abubakar and his running mate, Peter Obi, as the right candidates for the Nigerian presidency.
Jamila Abubakar, another wife of the PDP presidential candidate, urged women not to mortgage their future by selling their votes in the February 16 election.
Jamila urged women to vote for Abubakar, vote for better jobs, food security, better healthcare system and improved education, which her husband and Obi had pledged to provide.
Margret Obi, wife of Peter Obi, also called on women to vote massively for Abubakar 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.