The South East All Progressives Congress (APC) women on Wednesday successfully held their one million-woman march in Owerri, the Imo State capital, for the Party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kazeem Shettima, with Governor Hope Uzodinma saying the APC menfolk are solidly behind their women.
The Governor spoke when his wife, Barr. (Mrs.) Chioma Uzodimma who is the leader of the Presidential Campaign for APC women in South East defied the heavy rain and presented her colleagues to him after they successfully marched round the city in support of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidency.
Receiving the women who marched from Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square to the Government House roundabout in Owerri, Governor Uzodimma expressed happiness that “APC has a presidential candidate in the person of Jagaban of our time – Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” and warned the crowd not to be deceived by anybody.
“APC is one united Party in Nigeria and we are all committed to APC and all are working for APC with the believe that what is happening in Lagos should happen in Nigeria in general.”
The Governor emphasized that he believes that “those who initiated the good things that are happening in Lagos should also initiate what will happen in Nigeria.”
He reiterated his conviction that the good work President Muhammadu Buhari has done in the past seven and half years has to be supported and continued “and the only way this can happen is for Nigerian women, youths and politicians to come out en mass and encourage APC to win for continuity and progress.”
Governor Uzodimma told the women that he personally came out to receive them in Owerri “to support and encourage them to continue what they are doing” and that “the APC men are solidly behind them.”
He told them not to be deterred, assuring that they will be carried along, even as he recalled that the APC presidential candidate has all it takes to make women be in the forefront of his administration.
“This is a man who is after the heart of women,” he added, saying “if you support him you are supporting women, youths and the good interest he has for Nigeria.”
The Governor assured the women that their efforts will not be in vein as “APC is presently better positioned in the five States of the South East that is Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.”
He thanked the women for their peaceful disposition and conducts in carrying out the rally in Owerri without violence and wished them safe journey to their various States.
Earlier while addressing the mammoth crowd of South East APC women at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, the First Lady of Imo State who informed them that she has been appointed to coordinate the women Presidential Campaign Team of the party in the South East noted that the rally was “a preamble to what is to come in the course of the official flag-off of APC campaigns for the 2023 general elections as a people and as a formidable Party.”
Besides, she said the march was an occasion to show their “readiness and preparedness to lead the way in sustaining the gospel of progress and national unity, especially in the entire South East region of Nigeria for the actualization of the dream of a more progressive Nigeria.”
“This is an opportunity for Nigeria to choose to move forward by choosing a man who is an enigma of human capacity development and expert in revenue generation, a policy creativity and one with a penchant for infrastructural development so that Nigeria can emerge even stronger than her peers among the comity of Nations,” Mrs. Uzodimma explained.
She acknowledged that APC in Nigeria has given women a lot of opportunities in politics and corperate governance more than any other party, adding that “the Governor of Imo State who is also an APC Governor has done a lot to improve the standard of life in Imo State in accommodating women in positions of leadership and governance.”
Mrs. Uzodimma reiterated Tinubu’s love for women, insisting that as a reliable ally far back in 1999 he had a woman as his running mate and also gave so many women the opportunity to be part of his government when there was little or no drive about women inclusion in politics.
She described the presidential candidate of APC as “a man of merit whose reign as the Governor of Lagos State had development plans that moved Lagos to an enviable height in addition to nurturing so many young leaders and succeeded in entrenching enduring legacies.”
Mrs Uzodimma solicited the need to “drive the message of the qualities and capabilities ofTinubu home and preach to our people that APC has the best candidate among all who are in the race and with tact, persuasion and strategy the people of the South East will embrace and buy into the message and even win more converts for the party.”
She concluded by saying that “the infrastructural revolution and transformation going on in Imo State under the Shared Prosperity Administration remains yet another compelling launch-off pad that will convince the electorate that APC government and party are 100% commited to the progress and prosperity of the people, which is the true essence of democracy.”
“The city boy is the man to beat. Asiwaju is the way forward and a vote for Asiwaju is a vote for consolidation and progress.”
In their goodwill messages at the rally the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, the Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha acknowledged the sacrifices of Governor Uzodimma and stated that “the women of the South East have decided that they will do the needful by voting for APC and ensuring that APC wins.”
Also, the Deputy National Women Leader, Hajia Zinab Ibrahim, the National Women Leader, Mrs. Better Odi, called on the women to go and collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to enable them vote for APC and support the president that is gender-sensitive and friendly.
The APC women who were present and whose messages corroborated that of the women leaders and the address of Mrs. Uzodimma include: the Chief Executive of NEPAD, Mrs. Gloria Akobundu and the Chairperson of Igbo Kwenu, Mrs. TOR. They all affirmed the need for women to support APC to succeed in the forth coming elections.
Other South East APC women who participated in the rally were; the wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Her Excellency Mrs. Rachael Umahi, Member representing Okigwe North in the House of Representatives, Hon Princes Miriam Onuoha, APC women Executives of the South East States and many others.
Oguwike Nwachuku
Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Governor
October 5, 2022.