From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, yesterday, recalled the contributions of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the enthronement of democracy in the country and called on Edo women to be his foot-soldiers in his campaign to become the next president of the country.
Speaking at APC Women Summit in Benin, organised by the office of the party’s Deputy National Treasurer, Hon. Omorede-Marshal in collaboration with Tinubu Mandate Coalition (TMG), Obahiagbon who was the Chairman of the event, asked: “When Rome was burning where were those in the political field today; when MKO Abiola, the voice of the people was murdered by the state, one man, Bola Tinubu, stood up, sacrificed his finances to pursue pro-democracy cause, went to exile for four years. That is where he stands shoulder higher than the others in the race”.
Commenting on the antecedents and achievements of the APC Presidential candidate, Obahiagbon stated that before he became the governor of Lagos State, the state was regarded as the dirtiest state capital in the world but when he became governor, he turned things around.
Besides, the former lawmaker popularly known as ‘Igodomigodo’, said Tinubu raised the Internally Generated Revenue of Lagos from N600 million monthly to N50 billion and introduced free healthcare for children, describing the APC candidate as a detribalised man who had Nigerians from all parts of the country in his cabinet.
In her speech, Hon. Olubunmi Oriniowo, APC National Ex-officio, South-West Zone, who was guest speaker at the event, said “Asiwaju is the most detribalised Nigerian I have met”.
The former Ekiti State House of Assembly member, disclosed that when the state governor who was not of the same party some of the lawmakers stopped paying their salaries, “it was Asiwaju that was paying our salaries”.
She, therefore, urged women to talk to their children who involved in social media politics, saying that Asiwaju is original President and not Instagram President, contending that if it was money Tinubu does not need to be President because he was rich before he became governor of Lagos State.
In her contribution, APC National Ex-officio, North Central, Opawoye Olubunmi, while speaking on the role of women, stated that women as wife, sister, mother, grandmother, have many channels and should be foot-soldiers to Asiwaju other candidates of the party because they cannot do alone.
“The only way we can do ‘buga’ in the next elections is for women in their multiple roles to come out and campaign for the APC Presidential candidate and other candidates of the party, adding “no woman, no election”
In her goodwill message, mother of the day, Prof. Mrs Idia Ize-Iyamu, said women are the amplifiers of the voice of the candidates of the party, stressing that women are the guaranteed voters during elections.
Represented by Mrs Mariam Jubril, Prof. Ize-Iyamu added that women are the most resilient, dogged and undisuaded voters, and urged Tinubu to give 35 percent or more positions to women in his government.