Tinubu Gives Betta Edu, APC Women Marching Orders to Secure Women’s Votes for 2027

President Bola Tinubu has charged Dr Betta Edu, Director of Women Mobilisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, members of the Women’s Directorate, the party’s women leaders and other campaign officials to intensify grassroots engagement and mobilise women across the country ahead of the 2027 general election.

The President gave the charge at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he acknowledged the invaluable contributions of Nigerian women to the nation’s political development and expressed confidence in their capacity to influence electoral participation.

Describing women as the party’s greatest mobilisers, Tinubu urged them to deploy their organisational abilities, numerical strength and influence within families and communities towards the APC’s campaign objectives.

“You women are the greatest mobilisers, and I assure you a sponsorship of the Women Reserve Seat Bill. Go and work for it, it will come to fruition to increase the number of women representation at both National Assembly and subnational level. I assure you that,” the President said.

The declaration introduced a significant legislative dimension to the inauguration, with Tinubu offering assurances on an issue that has featured prominently in Nigeria’s political discourse: greater representation of women in elected positions.

His commitment to sponsoring the Women Reserve Seat Bill signals an intention to advance proposals aimed at addressing the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s legislative institutions. The proposed measure, as described by the President, would seek to increase women’s representation at both the National Assembly and subnational levels.

For APC women leaders, the President’s assurance presents an opportunity to intensify advocacy for legislative reforms that would create additional pathways for women to participate in governance and decision-making.

However, translating the commitment into law would require the necessary legislative processes, including consideration and approval by the relevant lawmaking institutions.

Beyond the legislative promise, Tinubu urged APC women to translate their numerical strength and political influence into sustained organisational work ahead of the next general election.

He commended their longstanding commitment to the party and their contributions to its electoral successes, stressing the importance of coordinated mobilisation capable of reaching voters across the federation.

The President’s charge places the Women Mobilisation Directorate, led by Dr Edu, at the centre of the party’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election. The task includes strengthening existing political networks, expanding ward-level structures and sustaining direct engagement with communities beyond major campaign rallies.

For Edu and her team, the challenge is to consolidate support among women in markets, rural communities, professional associations, cooperatives, faith-based organisations and other social networks, while ensuring that government policies and campaign commitments are communicated effectively.

The Women Mobilisation Directorate has set an ambitious target of securing 40 million women’s votes for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket through a mobilisation framework covering 176,846 communities, with structures spanning the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The strategy is designed to take the campaign beyond high-profile political gatherings by strengthening household engagement, community outreach, ward-level organisation and polling-unit mobilisation.

Tinubu’s recognition of women’s contributions also reinforces the importance of their participation beyond election periods. Women play significant roles in household management, agriculture, small businesses, education, community development and social welfare, making their concerns an important consideration in discussions about public policy.

The President’s assurances on reserved legislative seats could therefore become a focal point of engagement between the campaign leadership and women’s groups, particularly those advocating more inclusive political representation.

The mobilisation drive is also expected to build on the activities of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, whose engagements with women and support for empowerment initiatives have featured prominently in the campaign’s preparations.

At the October 5 pre-inaugural Women’s Summit and Empowerment Programme in Abuja, the First Lady brought together women stakeholders from across the country. The programme also featured the distribution of livelihood-support items, including motorbikes and farm trucks, to beneficiaries.

The event reflected the campaign’s effort to connect political mobilisation with economic empowerment, although the long-term impact of such interventions will depend on their implementation, reach and sustainability.

Dr Edu has repeatedly expressed confidence in the capacity of APC women to contribute significantly to the party’s 2027 campaign. Her mobilisation strategy emphasises unity, discipline and sustained grassroots engagement, with the objective of building a coordinated network capable of operating across communities and political constituencies.

The inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council formally advances the APC’s preparations for the next general election, bringing its campaign structures and mobilisation machinery into sharper focus.

Tinubu’s message to the women’s mobilisation team was accompanied by a commitment extending beyond the immediate electoral contest. While he tasked women with intensifying their mobilisation efforts, he also offered assurances on legislative representation, an issue whose eventual outcome will depend on the relevant constitutional and legislative processes.

For Edu and other campaign officials, the immediate responsibility is to translate the President’s directive into organised political engagement while sustaining dialogue with women over the policies and reforms that affect their lives.

As the 2027 election approaches, the effectiveness of the APC’s women mobilisation strategy will be measured not only by the scale of its structures and public declarations, but also by the quality of its engagement with citizens and its ability to address the concerns that shape political participation.

Tinubu’s message was unequivocal -women are central to the party’s mobilisation plans, and their participation must extend beyond campaign appearances to sustained grassroots organisation.

His assurance on the Women Reserve Seat Bill has added a significant policy commitment to the assignment before Edu and the wider campaign leadership.