JUST-IN: APC Sets Up Women Campaign Team, Names Aisha Buhari Grand Patron

Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, announced the composition of its women’s campaign team. 

Named the Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team, the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, is expected to lead the women’s wing of the party to victory as its grand patron.

Also playing key roles are Senator Oluremi Tinubu, three-term senator representing Lagos Central at the upper chamber of the National Assembly and former first lady of Lagos State, and Nana Shettima, the former first lady of Borno State and wife of the APC’s vice-presidential candidate. They will be serving as chairman and co-chairman of the women’s campaign team respectively.

This was contained in a statement issued by Rinsola Abiola, daughter of late Chief MKO Abiola and active member of the APC, who was also named in the media and administrative committees of the women’s campaign team.

Asabe Vilita Bashir, a former Member of the House of Representatives from Borno State will serve as national coordinator while Lauretta Onochie, a prominent woman within the APC and a senior aide in the Presidency, will deputise her.

The women campaign team in the North-West Zone will be coordinated by Dr Zainab Baugudu, wife of the Kebbi State governor, while Mrs Falmata Zulum, the first lady of Borno State, will be in charge of the Northeast. In a similar vein, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, the first lady of Kwara State, will coordinate efforts in the North-Central and Mrs. Sanwoolu, wife of the Lagos State governor, will superintend over the South-West. The First Lady of Imo State, Chioma Ikeaka-Uzodinma will also coordinate the South-East while Linda Ayade, wife of the Cross River state governor, will spearhead the women’s campaign in the South-South.

All governors’ wives are to serve as state coordinators in APC states, while notable APC women such as Florence Ajimobi, widow of the former governor of Oyo State and Zainab Ibrahim, the APC Deputy National Women Leader, among others, were chosen to coordinate activities in states not controlled by the APC.

The administrative committee is led by Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, an influential Lagos politician and close associate of Oluremi Tinubu, also doubles as the chairman of the committee on strategic planning. Also heading the committee on operations and logistics is Senator Fatima Raji-Rasaki while Sarafa Modele-Yusuf, a seasoned media practitioner, is to head the Media and Strategic Communications committee.

The Finance and Special Duties committee is to be headed by the former deputy governor of Lagos state and Senior Special Assistant to the President, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, while the Diaspora Mobilisation Committee is to be chaired by none other than Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The Creative and Entertainment Industry also has the seasoned screen diva, Joke Silva as its chairman, and includes other members such as Toyin Adegbola, Esther Wright, Rose Odika and Hadiza Kabara, among others.

The Directorate of Contact and Mobilisation has 944 members including Hon. Tolulope Akande Sadipe, Hon. Rekiya Yahaya, Zainab Ikaz-Kassim, among others.

The list also contains volunteers including Zahra Buhari, Hafsa Umar Shinkafi, Ahmed Indimi, Mairo Bulama Idris, Aisha Ahmed Jika and others.

The full list has been posted on the social media accounts of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.