We suffered to make Tinubu president, now he won’t even give us rice during Easter, Ramadan: APC Women Leaders

The All Progressive Congress (APC) women leaders across all states and the Federal Capital Territory have accused President Bola Tinubu’ of neglecting them after his victory in the 2023 general election.

In a solidarity visit to Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the APC, the women expressed their grievances about being excluded from the gains of party politics.

The group’s president, Patricia Yakubu, said no member was considered worthy of a political appointment or post-election reward despite their efforts to ensure the president’s victory.

“Your Excellency, the women have not been compensated for all their pains and sacrifices; we are feeling neglected,” said Ms Yakubu.

She criticised the government’s decision to give women only one bag of rice and a wrapper each following the 2023 general elections.

“Since after the elections, Your Excellency may note that only one bag of rice and paper wrapper was given to the states’ women leaders from the party’s national secretariat.

“Nothing was given to us during Easter, the Ramadan fasting period and Sallah festivities. Even the palliatives that were 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,” Ms Yakubu explained.

Further revealing their displeasure with the abandonment, she stated that they are closer to the party women at the grassroots, which she asserted is the largest voting bloc in the secular world; thus, their demography should not be neglected.

She noted that women deserve to partake in political appointments, given their service during the elections, and recalled some incidents that occurred during the election period.

“Our women went through a lot at the last election,” she said. “We took a great risk sleeping on the grass in open spaces at the Women Development Center in Abuja and almost every state during the electioneering period to ensure victory.”

Ms Yakubu recalled that a member’s house was demolished by the opposition party in her state, how one was involved in an accident and the kidnap of another woman’s son, among other issues.

The forum’s leader, however, highlighted the efforts of the office of the APC chairman and passed a vote of confidence in him.

She accused the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, of distributing N50,000 in cash palliatives and excluding the women from the arrangement.

“We will also want to respectfully draw the attention of His Excellency, our Father, the advocate of women’s empowerment, to the fact that most of the federal government programmes that have to do with women sound like news to us. We want to plead with you to use your good office to discuss with the ministers and heads of agencies to involve our women in their programmes, especially in states where we don’t have APC governors.” She added.