President Muhammadu Buhari has warned the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against concentrating his campaign in the capital of the country, Abuja, ahead of the 2023 election.
Newsonline reports that President Buhari said the APC presidential council and Tinubu, the presidential candidate must work to get the trust of Nigerians in the 8000 wards across the country.
The president, represented by Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari stated these while inaugurating the women’s wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket on Monday, in Abuja.
Buhari through Gambari emphasized that the real power belongs to the citizens who are far-flung in the remote villages of the 774 local governments and 8000 wards in the country.
Buhari said, “As this launch is being hosted in Abuja, we must remember that the real war lies in far-flung places away from Abuja. The task ahead lies in over 8000 wards and 774 local governments across the country, where party faithful will have to make a case before fellow citizens on our party’s candidate articulating the vision and the programme for the country.”
He then advised the party and Tinubu, “The campaign, therefore, should recede the temptation for it to be turned into an Abuja-centric activity but establish the connection between the voting public and our presidential candidate, and for other candidates for offices throughout Nigeria, that should be the ultimate objective.”
The president, Muhammadu Buhari further stated that women were instrumental to his victory in the 2015 general election. He added that he was sure they would engage in massive sensitization of the women across the country to vote for the APC.
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Buhari said, ” I will also like to thank the wife of the Vice President, the wives of APC governors, and indeed all our women leaders at all levels for their tireless efforts and support.
“It is also very important that I take some time on portraits that give credibility and importance as to why we are gathered here today at the launch of such a critical organ of our party as we look forward to the 2023 general elections.
“In the 2015 general elections, about 3.6 million housewives voted in the presidential election. And this figure ranks third next to about 4.4 million students in the 2019 general elections. Women accounted for 47 percent, almost 40 million of the 84 million registered voters throughout the nation.
“We must continuously co-opt and make a significant inroad into these demographic and voting segments.
“The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently made a projection that Nigeria’s voting population could be as much as 95 million for the 2023 general elections. For statisticians in the room, you can imagine what that means in terms of potential votes that women could bring to the table.”
