Aisha Buhari asks APC not to use free forms to relegate women

 The First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, has appealed to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not to use the free form given to women to relegate them to the background.

She made the appeal Saturday at the female APC aspirants’ summit, put together by the Office of the Women Leader of the ruling party with support from the International Republican Institute (IRI), at the State House Conference Center, Abuja.

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According to her, “I don’t believe in free gifts. But with Dr. Beta there as our leader, I believe the APC will not relegate women to the backseat.”

Mrs Buhari said while giving out free forms had created more opportunities for women to contest for elective positions, it, however, did not assure aspirants of success in the forthcoming elections. 

“I believe that a huge task lies ahead of us. We must solidify our unity of purpose and work hard towards creating an impactful space within the political arena,” she said.

In her opening remarks, APC National Woman Leader, Dr Betta Edu, said over 700 women were aspiring for various positions across the country on the platform of the ruling party. 

She lamented that some of the women aspirants were being threatened to step down, others were being told that they are not good enough to run, while others on the basis of religion were also told they can’t contest and won’t be voted for. She also urged women to support women vying for various and not fall into the temptation of working against each other.