We received just one bag of rice, paper wrapper after elections- APC Women Leaders lament

The Forum of 37 State Women Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) convened on Tuesday, expressing their discontent over what they perceived as a severe lack of recognition and rewards for their contributions to the party.

During a solidarity visit to the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, the aggrieved leaders laid bare their grievances, citing their exclusion from the benefits of party politics following the 2023 general elections.

Mrs Patricia Yakubu, President of the forum, lamented the meagre compensation received by their members, revealing that they were only given one bag of rice and a paper wrapper each.

“But the state women leaders will want to advocate that we should be carried along in all the affairs about women in the states. We are closer to the party women at the grassroots, the largest voting bloc in the secular world. Our demography should not be neglected. Since after the elections, Your Excellency may note that only one bag of rice and one paper wrapper was given to the state women leaders from the national secretariat of the party.”

Yakubu emphasised their significant role in securing electoral victories for the party, particularly highlighting their efforts in supporting President Bola Tinubu’s candidacy.

“Nothing was given to us during Easter, the Ramadan fasting period, and Salah festivities. Even the palliatives distributed were not given to the women leaders for onward distribution to the grassroots. We party women waited and waited and waited to no avail, which is very sad. Your Excellency, respectfully, we wish to notify you that the women leaders sacrificed so much towards the victory of our great party during the 2023 elections.

Amidst their frustration, the women leaders supported the Ganduje-led National Working Committee, affirming their confidence in his leadership.

However, they demanded greater inclusion in the affairs concerning women within the party, underscoring their proximity to grassroots party members, who constitute a substantial voting bloc.

They called for recognition of their sacrifices and contributions, stressing the need for federal appointments to acknowledge their pivotal role in the party’s success.

The women leaders also accused the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development of distributing cash palliatives without extending them to their members, despite their diverse backgrounds and professional achievements.

In response, Ganduje appealed for calm and assured the women leaders that their grievances had been noted and would be addressed promptly.

He emphasised the party’s commitment to gender sensitivity and hinted at forthcoming federal appointments. Ganduje disclosed ongoing reforms within the party, particularly in membership registration, where more women would be trained and mobilised for active participation in governance.

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