From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Coalition of pro-Osinbajo women groups from various parts of the country, yesterday, stormed the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, to push for the actualisation of the 2023 presidential ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The women coalition, comprising market women, farmers, traders, artisans and professionals were visibly active at the centre to demand for Osinbajo to become the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in 2023.
They urged the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee to ensure delegates to its February national convention are not hijacked by those who have participated in looting state or federal resources in the past.
Leader of the Steering Committee of Women Coalition for Osinbajo, Hajia Rabi Dauda, who spoke with newsmen in front of the ICC, Abuja, emphasised that women’s assessment of the current lineup of presidential aspirants across various political parties indicates that Osinbajo is the best option for Nigerian women.
“We are rooting for Osinbajo, not because there are no other aspirants but because he is the most qualified and the one with the most easily predictable disposition towards development issues that are of utmost concern to women.
“Nigerian women trust Osinbajo more than any other presidential aspirant and he already has an idea of what the specific challenges of governance in present times really mean.
“We believe Osinbajo can consolidate upon whatever good foundation President Muhammadu Buhari has laid and Nigerian women are much more optimistic about prospects for a better future under an Osinbajo presidency.
“At this APC National Women’s Conference and beyond, we are urging all Nigerian women to actively mobilise support for Osinbajo in the interest of generations yet unborn because 2023 elections will leave very enduring impact on the fate of Nigeria,” she said.
Similarly, Madam Scholastica Dominic, who led a group of market women to join the women coalition for a peaceful rally at the event, stated that it was a voluntary demonstration of support.
“He is healthy, youth-friendly and women-friendly and he represents positive change. Besides, Osinbajo has demonstrated keen disposition towards seeing things from the perspective of market women and he can make things easy for us; indeed, we believe he has great capacity to move Nigeria forward,” Madam Dominic said.
Also, Evangelist Ochoja, who is a member of the inter-faith group within the women coalition, expressed confidence in Osinbajo’s preparedness to justify the nation’s collective hopes, adding that many people like her who cannot be swayed with money prefer to back Osinbajo in view of demonstrated capacity to serve with empathy.