BREAKING: We were sidelined and dumped after the 2023 election – APC women leaders lament

The forum of 37 APC Women Leaders of the All Progressives Congress and the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday decried their exclusion from the dividend of party politics, announcing they only received one bag of rice and a paper wrapper each after the 2023 general election.READ FULL ARTICLE>>>>

The aggrieved leaders tabled their complaints before the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, during a solidarity visit to the party secretariat in Abuja.

Addressing the audience, the President of the forum, Mrs Patricia Yakubu, lamented that despite working hard for the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu, they found it appalling that none of their members was deemed worthy to be compensated with an appointment or post-election reward from the presidency.

Yakubu, on the other hand, acknowledged that despite their frustration, they were impressed with the Ganduje-led National Working Committee, and therefore passed a vote of confidence on the national chairman.

She said, “We, the forum of 36 States women leaders and the FCT have come to pay you a solidarity visit and unanimously notify you, we believe in you as the National Chairman of our great party. We unequivocally give a vote of confidence in you and reiterate the fact that the 36 States women leaders are solidly behind you and the National Working Committee of our great party.

“However the state women leaders would like to advocate that we should be carried along in all the affairs concerning women in the states. We are closer to the party women at the grassroots, the largest voting bloc in the secular world. Our demography must not be neglected. Since after the elections, Your Excellency could note that only one bag of rice and one paper wrapper were given to the state women leaders from the national secretariat of the party.

“Nothing was given to us during Easter, the Ramadan fasting period, and Salah festivities. Even the palliatives distributed were not given to the women leaders for onward distribution to the grassroots. We party women waited and waited and waited to no avail, very sad. Your Excellency respectfully, we wish to tell you that the Women Leaders sacrificed greatly toward the victory of our great party during the 2023 elections.”

Continuing, the forum appealed to the president and the management to take into account all they sacrificed to ensure the occasion’s victory, stating they deserve to participate in the federal appointments.

The women leaders also accused the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development headed by Dr Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye of distributing cash palliatives of N50,000 without extending it to any of their members.

While stressing that they were not beggars, the women argued that they include retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, service diplomats, former federal and state lawmakers, ex-commissioners, former Local Government Chairmen, entrepreneurs, adjunct professors, and academics among them.

“Our women went through a lot during the final election. We took a huge risk sleeping on the grass in open spaces at the Women’s Pattern Center in Abuja and nearly every day during the electioneering period to ensure victory. The home of one of us was demolished on election day by the opposition party in her state to distract her from canvassing votes for the party.

“The son of a member was kidnapped a member was kidnapped a day before the presidential election. Another woman was detained at the police station for three days from the election day. One of us was involved in a serious motor accident during the campaign in her community and she is still in and out of the hospital. Your Excellency, the women have not been compensated for all their peril and sacrifices; we feel neglected.

“We would also like to respectfully request the honour of His Excellency, our Father, the advocate of women’s empowerment, to acknowledge the truth that many of the Federal Government programmes that should involve women sound like mere records to us. We wish to plead with you to use your lawful office to speak with the ministers and heads of agencies to include our women in their programmes, especially in states where we do not have APC governors,” Yakubu said.

Reacting, Ganduje appealed for calm, stating the complaints of the women leaders had been heard and would be addressed promptly.

The APC national chairman also assured that the president would not close the door of appointments to party loyalists.

He said, “I want to acknowledge your contribution during the election period that culminated in the significant success of our party. Indeed, you can see that our President, Bola Tinubu, is gender-inclusive when you look at the political landscape. So Mr President is fully aware of your participation. I will tell you that further appointments are still coming from the federal government.

“We have got been in talks with our advise APC governors to be sure your pudgy participation in governance is given precedence. Let me exercise this likelihood to congratulate the Gombe authorities. I’m soft two ladies folks won the local authorities chairmanship election in that Shriek.

“This administration is just one year old. We have to tell you that the APC is currently undergoing some reforms, especially in the area of membership registration where more women will be trained. They are in the majority and have free access to go from house to house during the mobilisation campaign. We assure you that we have heard your complaints and they will be addressed soon,” he said.READ FULL ARTICLE>>>>