Tinubu pledges support for female candidates
By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja
Women leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have pledged to mobilise women across the country for the 2027 general elections, urging members to translate the Federal Government’s reform agenda into grassroots action.
The women made the commitment at the one-day Women’s Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Summit 2026, where they also called for stronger networks, greater participation of women in governance and increased access to empowerment opportunities.
The summit brought together APC women leaders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, members of the National Assembly, ministers, women’s groups and other party supporters.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, thanked the women for their support for President Bola Tinubu and urged them to return to their respective states to mobilise voters for the party.
She said the campaign would be anchored on the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reform to Prosperity”, arguing that the government’s economic reforms were beginning to yield results.
“The theme of this year’s rally, the Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0, From Reform to Prosperity, is not just a slogan, it is our reality,” she said.
She listed economic stabilisation, declining inflation, growing foreign reserves, increased investment, support for farmers and access to student loans among the administration’s achievements.
According to her, the APC women’s campaign would not be restricted to the presidential election but would extend to candidates contesting legislative and state-level elections.
“What you see on the ballot box is APC. We are here to promote APC, nothing less, from presidency to partnership, to National Assembly, and also to the state assembly,” she said.
She urged the women to speak with one voice and translate their support into votes during the 2027 elections.
“Let us share the hope that when Nigerian women have spoken, we speak with one voice, and we vote,” she added.
Tinubu also expressed support for female candidates contesting elective positions, saying various women support groups within the party had been brought together to strengthen the campaign structure and improve mobilisation across the country.
She said women leaders would play a key role in coordinating campaigns and representing the national campaign structure at the state level.
“We are going to also have a state campaign, but all these women here will be representing you when you have state parties. We are going to work on that; they will represent you, and then they will speak,” she said.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, said women would play a critical role in the 2027 elections, describing them as an important voting bloc.
Yari urged the women to remain united behind the APC, saying the party was working to provide them with the necessary support for effective grassroots mobilisation.
“What we need is one voice, one movement, one choice, and one man. That’s what we need for 2027,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the ability of APC women leaders to mobilise voters across the states, adding that their participation would be crucial to the party’s electoral strategy.
Also speaking, the APC National Women Leader said the summit was an opportunity to strengthen women’s participation in politics and development, stressing that empowered women would contribute significantly to stronger families and communities.
She said women leaders had a responsibility to take government programmes and opportunities to the grassroots, listen to citizens’ concerns and provide feedback to government.
According to her, “our action plan is clear. First, we must build stronger women-to-women networks across our wards, local governments and communities.”
She added that APC women had been mandated to identify people in need of support, connect them with available empowerment opportunities and ensure beneficiaries became agents of development in their communities.
The APC women leader also called for a shift from mobilisation to measurable action, with clear responsibilities, grassroots structures, regular engagement and accountability.
“My dear sisters, the time to organise is now, the time to act is now, and the time to turn the new road into prosperity is now,” she said.
She further pledged the support of APC women for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and his re-election bid in 2027.
The event also highlighted government empowerment initiatives targeting women, elderly citizens, persons with disabilities and young people.
The speakers urged the women to take ownership of such programmes and use them to deepen engagement with communities ahead of the 2027 elections.
The gathering was attended by APC women leaders, First Ladies, political stakeholders and representatives of support groups from different parts of the country.
The women, through chants and solidarity messages at the event, declared their readiness to commence grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
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