By Adeyemi Adeleye
The South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), a support group for APC presidential aspirant, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has officially launched its women wing in Lagos State.
The group has also demanded five million votes from women in Lagos state in 2023 for Tinubu.
The Chairman of the group, Sen. Adedayo Adeyeye, said that the launch was another indication that Tinubu had gone ahead of other APC presidential aspirants, to win the party’s ticket on May 31.
The chairman, who commended women for their support for Tinubu, assured them that they would not regret when the former Lagos state governor emerged as the next president.
“With the event of today, we are signifying to other contestants that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved far ahead of every other person in the pack.
“We are ahead and we are happy they (other aspirants) are following us. At the end of the primaries, everybody should come together so that we can all work for the success of Tinubu.
“With women support and with the kind of things we have seen all around the country, I am absolutely confident and assured that Asiwaju will prevail not only in APC primaries but also in the general elections.
“He will be elected as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Adeyeye said.
He charged the newly inaugurated Women in SWAGA excos to replicate same inauguration across polling units, wards and local government areas so as to garther at least, five million votes for Tinubu in the state.
“In the South West here, we have 14 million votes already locked up for Tinubu.
“We have put it in his pocket and he has zipped it and nobody can take it away from him,” he added.
Stressing the importance of women, Adeyeye said: “We cannot do anything without the support of women. We need the massive support of women.”
He said that women’s demand for 35 per cent Affirmative Action would become a reality with Tinubu at the helm of affairs.
“I want to assure women that, given Tinubu’s antecedents, his presidency will be an era in which women folks in Nigeria will be at the fore front of governance in the country.
“They are going to be well represented in the government if Tinubu is elected president. Women will occupy a pride of place and be given their due. Happy days ahead for women in Nigeria,” he said.
He said that SWAGA had moved to the North Central, North East, North West and everywhere with many other affiliate organisations to mobilise support for Tinubu.
Adeyeye said that SWAGA would soon launch the youth wing , the artisan wing and other wings in every part of the nation to actualise the presidential ambition of Tinubu.
On the increasing number of APC presidential aspirants, Adeyeye noted that the group was not afraid, saying: “we started far ahead of others, they will do a lot of work to catch up and I am sure they can’t catch up.
“We are confident and we are sure by the Grace of God that, with the work we have done, Tinubu will prevail,” he said.
The National Coordinator, Women for SWAGA, Mrs Ayo Omidiran, who noted that women remained critical in politics, said the group was out to mobilise support for Tinubu.
Omidiran, who expressed optimism that Tinubu would give more women opportunities, said women had done enough to merit more representation in governance.
“Tinubu has been projecting women and a lot of people have learnt from him. He is a lover of women, we love him too. We must carry him on our back to achieve his dream,” Omidiran said.
Also, Mrs Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe, the Lagos State Chairman, Women for SWAGA said Tinubu had encouraged and empowered so many women to deserve their support in 2023.
Also, Princess Folashade Olabanji- Oba, SWAGA’s National Public Relations Officer, said that the group had earlier organised a free medical outreach where about 700 women were attended to by medical practitioners.
In her remark, Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who noted that women remained critical in politics, urged women to get their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to vote, in order to make a change for the sake of their children.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SWAGA presented awards of recognitions to a lot of women including the wife of the Lagos state governor, wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Remi Hamzat, Sen. Remi Tinubu, Chief Kemi Nelson, APC women leader, some governors’ wives and members of the group. (NAN)
