Kogi Guber: APC inaugurates steering committee for women, youth mobilisation »

…. as Kogi women throw weight behind Ododo/Joel, Promise not to let the party down

In a bid to kickstart it’s campaign activities, the ruling All Progressive Congress in Kogi state on Friday inaugurated the State Campaign Council for Women and youth mobilisation as the women promised not to let the party down and ensure massive victory for the party’s candidate.

In her address before the inauguration, First Lady of Kogi state and Chairperson of the steering woman and youth mobilisation committee, Mrs. Rasheedat Bello said that the event also served as a means for the women to meet the wife of the gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates, Hajiya Sefiya Ododo.

The First Lady said that inaugurating the campaign council was premised on the need to galvanise the party women to work vigorously towards consolidating on the gains of the over 7 years of the leadership of governor Yahaya Bello who has given women and youth a strong voice in the state and had become a reference point to other states in Nigeria and beyond.

She urged the women to support, mobilise and vote Alhaji Usman Ododo for continuity of a comprehensive women and youth agenda, as set by her husband noting that the Governor Bello’s administration has given women and youths critical roles which would be continued by Alhaji Usman Ododo when he emerge as the state’s governor.

She urged the women not to be tired and work collectively and in sincerity with herself and the wife of the gubernatorial candidate asking them to take the canvasing across every local government area and polling units in a bid to educate more women on why they should vote the APC candidate in the forth coming election.

In her own address, wife of the gubernatorial candidate, Hajiya Sufiya Ododo promised the women that her husband and gubernatorial candidate would continue to support women and the youth of the state and remain commited to ensuring that they are carried along following the step of the current administration.

She asked the women to go back to their respective locality and tell people that her husband would be a governor of all the citizenry.

Earlier in her opening address, Wife of the Deputy governor, Mrs. Ejura Mercy attested that women and youth play very critical role in the electioneering process, hence it was important to set up such committee that would steer the affairs of the campaign and ensure that the both stakeholder were actively carried along in the campaign activities.

She noted that APC is a winning party but there is the need for planning and strategising, while assuring that Victory was certain for the party if the women stakeholders work together to record remarkable results.

In her goodwill message, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Folashade Arike Ayoade said that Kogi women would do the needful to ensure massive mobilisation and votes for the APC candidates, adding that women in the state remained grateful to Governor. Bello for enlisting them in the political mainstream in the history of Kogi state.

She added that women and youth could singularly determine the outcome of the election as a result of their number and that Kogi women would support a candidate that has good plans for them and since Alhaji Usman Ododo has promised to follow in the example of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, he remained the only candidate they could trust.

The Governor knows how to choose and he knows the party’s candidate will perform, she added.

Other goodwill messages from FOMWAN (Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), NCWS and the Association of Market women centred around endorsement of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress’ candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo while they promised to use their network of women to ensure his victory.

“Women are everywhere in every nooks and crannies of the state, hence with our support Victory in election is guaranteed, women are formidable and wants inclusiveness. We will even show more than we have delivered previously, we will do our work”, they said.