"We are here to congratulate the party chairman and the whole party stewards for the work they are doing and to also seek their support on women. Women should not be forgotten, please."
Ahead of the primaries of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari, has called on the party to extend support to women.
Mrs Buhari made the call on Monday after a meeting with the members of the NWC of the APC at the party's national secretariat in Abuja.
The first lady was accompanied on the visit by the wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen.
Speaking to journalists, Mrs Buhari said she paid the visit to Mr Adamu and the executive committe of the party, to congratulate them and to solicit support for women.
"We are here to congratulate the party chairman and the whole party stewards for the work they are doing and to also seek their support on women. Women should not be forgotten, please," she said.
Some women are contesting for various positions in the 2023 elections.
A woman, Uju Kennedy-Ohnenye, is the only female presidential aspirant.
The party had reduced the cost of the nomination forms for women.
In April, Mrs Buhari had organised a dinner for the presidential aspirants of the APC.
Also, she has been very vocal about women inclusion in politics and governance. She was at the National Assembly during the presentation of the reports of the Constitution Amendment Committees.
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However, the struggle for the inclusion of women in politics suffered a major blow earlier this year, as all the five bills on gender were rejected by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
One of the bills sought to amend section 26 (2a) of the 1999 constitution by opening citizenship registration to males and females.
This means that if the bill is passed, foreigners married to Nigerian women can apply for Nigerian citizenship.
Similarly, the other bill sought to alter Sections 31 and 318(1) (the Interpretation Section) of the 1999 Constitution to allow a woman to become an indigene of her husband's state after at least six years of marriage
Furthermore, Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution to provide 35 per cent affirmative action to ensure women occupy at least 35 per cent in political party and appointive positions at the federal and state levels.
There is the bill for creation of extra seats for women and 20 per cent affirmative action in all appointive positions.
The rejection of the bills prompted protests by women groups at the entrance of the National Assembly.
The House of Representatives had consequently rescinded its decision on three of the bills. However, parliamentary activities have been suspended by lawmakers as they battle for return tickets.
