First lady Oluremi Tinubu has donated local fabric materials to the forum of 36 state women leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Federal Capital Territory.
Represented by the wife of the vice president Nana Shettima, Mrs Tinubu donated the items on Wednesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Also on the delegation was the spouse of the Speaker for the House of Representatives, Fatima Abbas; wife of the Senate President, Ekaette Akpabio; wife of the chief of staff, Salamatu Gbajabiamila and wives of several ministers in the current administration.
Barely a week ago, the women leaders expressed concerns that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had abandoned them despite their contribution to his election victory.
The aggrieved women led by the forum’s president, Patricia Yakubu, tabled their complaints before the national chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, lamenting that all they individually benefited after the 2023 general election were one bag of rice and a paper wrapper.
But donating the bales of wrappers, Mrs Shettima praised the first lady, who she claimed has been in the vanguard of promoting inclusiveness and women empowerment in the party.
The vice president’s wife also stressed that the donation was meant for APC women who are into the fabric business.
She said, “I am here representing the wife of our president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Your Excellency, the mother of the nation asked me to extend her greetings to everyone and to offer a few words of encouragement. I must say that I am one of the beneficiaries of her generosity because, during the crisis of Boko Haram, Her Excellency was one of the first set of senators who came to my state to condole with the people of Borno State.
“Sincerely, the little present we came with today is to support our APC women leaders who are into the fabrics business. Probably, the quantity might not be to your expectations. But I urge you to take it in good faith and be assured that more of these programmes are on the way.
“My appeal to all of us here is to be our sister’s keepers. No matter what, let us appreciate one another. We all know it is easy to destroy but very difficult to build. To Mr President, I believe he is also a gender-friendly person like the First Lady. He has given so many opportunities to women as ministers and head of MDAs in his government.”
Ganduje welcomed the delegation and applauded the first lady’s gesture, saying he had no doubt it was in furtherance of Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
