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- Distributes empowerment materials, promises ₦200,000 business grants to 750 persons
- As S’East governors throw their weight behind Tinubu’s re-election
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday flagged off the South-East Women Mega Empowerment and the All Progressives Congress’ Women Mobilisation Directorate’s campaign across the six geopolitical zones, saying the worst was over, as Nigeria was now stepping into prosperity flowing from President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The rally, which climaxed with the distribution of empowerment materials such as sewing machines, food processors, electricity generating sets and popcorn machines to women drawn from the five states of the region to support their economic activities and small-scale businesses, also attracted the presence of women leaders and members of the party from Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra states.
Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, as well as the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, were also in attendance at the rally, which took place at Okpara Square, Enugu.
Addressing the women, the First Lady, Senator Tinubu, conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message and urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the economic challenges associated with the President’s reforms, insisting that the country was moving towards prosperity.
She likened the process to childbirth, noting that although the period of labour could be painful, it ultimately led to delivery.
“Mr. President said I should greet everyone. We have done reforms and we are now in prosperity. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you. The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity,” she said.
The First Lady described the empowerment initiative as an indication of the APC government’s commitment to translating its promises into practical interventions, noting that the party was combining political mobilisation with economic support.
She expressed appreciation to the people of the South-East for their reception and support, recalling that she had visited the region several times since her husband’s assumption of office.
Senator Tinubu also announced additional empowerment programmes for women and elderly persons in Enugu State, promising that on December 3, APC senatorial candidates would be provided with funds to empower 250 women each with ₦200,000 to establish businesses.
She further announced an empowerment programme for 250 elderly persons scheduled for December 17, explaining that the beneficiaries must be aged 65 and above.
According to her, each of the two interventions would cover 750 beneficiaries across the three senatorial districts of Enugu State.
The First Lady urged the women to mobilise support for President Tinubu and APC candidates in the forthcoming 2027 general elections, asking them to hold political aspirants accountable for their records of empowerment and development interventions.
In his remarks, Governor Mbah, while welcoming the First Lady, acknowledged the contributions of women to families, communities and national development.
He said the rally was designed to empower more than 5,000 women across the South-East, adding that her office had, within the preceding 48 hours, supported more than 2,000 Enugu women through cash assistance, payment of hospital bills and the provision of tools to enable them to establish and expand businesses.
Mbah said the initiative went beyond political mobilisation, stressing that its central objective was to transform women into wealth creators rather than keeping them dependent on periodic handouts.
The governor also linked his administration’s development milestones to the economic reforms of the Federal Government, particularly the increased resources available to states through federation allocations.
He cited the construction of Smart Green Schools and primary healthcare centres across the state as examples of projects being implemented with the increased resources.
Mbah urged the women to support Tinubu’s continuation in office, arguing that the country would not abandon an ongoing journey because of temporary challenges.
“A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. So, we must finish the journey we all started together,” he said.
He further urged the South-East electorate to participate in the forthcoming elections, describing the Igbo as a people whose economic and social engagements extend beyond their geographical region.
“We are not a people that are ethnic by nature. We are a people that are strategic,” Mbah said, calling for support for President Tinubu and APC candidates.
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said the South-East would not accept a proposed four-year presidential tenure arrangement for a President of Igbo extraction.
He insisted that the region must seek an eight-year tenure when it eventually produces the nation’s president and called on the people of the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election bid come 2027.
Kalu said President Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to addressing longstanding concerns of the South-East, particularly through the establishment of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), adding that the post-civil war promise of the three Rs — Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation — had yet to receive the full implementation of the commitments until the establishment of the commission under the Tinubu administration.
He also cited the President’s appointments of people from the South-East into his cabinet and other federal initiatives as indications of his administration’s engagement with the region.
According to Uzodimma, increased allocations from the Federation Account had also provided state governments with greater resources to execute development projects, and he urged the people of the region to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, Governor Nwifuru said the APC’s central political objective was to secure a second term for President Tinubu, urging party members and supporters to work towards achieving that goal.
“We have a project and that project is our party, the APC. Our project is how to deliver the President for a second term,” he said.
The rally was marked by the presentation of empowerment equipment to women from across the five South-East states, alongside calls by party leaders for increased political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Other dignitaries included the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Uloma Akpabio; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Also present were the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye; National Women Leader of the APC and Director-General of the Women Wing of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Mary Alile-Idele; South-East Zonal Woman Leader of the APC, Dr. Oby Ajih; members of the National and State Assemblies, local government chairmen and other party stakeholders.
