The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has assured the that if voted into power in the February 16, 2019 presidential election, women would not be relegated to the ‘other room.’
The former Vice President gave the assurance Friday in Abuja at the PDP Women Conference with the theme “Call for Action”, where he challenged Nigerian women to use their numerical strength and push for those policies that would bring good governance as doing otherwise will bring untold hardship to families.
He stated, “We have no fear of handing over the country to you. In my three decades of politics, the most consistent voters in the Nigeria political process are women. I have practically seen it, when we use to vote on queues not through ballot papers, if I stand as a candidate and I turn my back to look at the lines that are supporting me, the women lines are always three times (longer than) that of the men.”
“You are not going to be in the other room I promise you. You have seen my wives here, they are not in the other room, they are in the front.”
“Therefore, it is the reason why we said we are going to give you more than 35 per cent, because your numbers and your pattern of voting justified that commitment.
“Therefore between youth and women you have 70 per cent of the government. This is to prepare you to take over governance, to take over this country and make it work again.
“So, this is your opportunity, your are not going to be put in the other room, I promise you because you have seen my wives here, they are not in the other room,” he added.
Also, PDP Women Leader, Hajia Marian Umar Waziri, said that the forthcoming election is another opportunity to rescue the country from suffering, division, hunger and killings which women are often victims.
She urged the women who she said had voting strength of about 60 percent to come together and vote Atiku into power.
On her part, Titi Atiku Abubakar, the first wife of Atiku, said that her husband is a sellable candidate, stressing that Atiku is not a man that will relegate women to the back seat.
According to her, “The candidate of today is a sellable candidate. As you can see, Atiku has not relegated us to the other room. He allows us to go wherever we want, she allows us to do our businesses, so we are not relegated to the other room.”
She reiterated Atiku’s determination to kick out hunger, adding that as an educationist, he would ensure that children go to school.
“Atiku has about 26 children and all his children are involved in his businesses except one who is working for the government and that one is a technocrat. Go out there and propagate Atiku so that we can make Nigeria a place to live,” she stated.