Women and youths in the North-East geopolitical zone have been called upon to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16, 2019, Presidential election as they did in 2015 just as they were appealed upon to make sure that their votes were counted after voting.
The call was made by the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari during a town hall meeting held at the Multipurpose Sports Hall in Bauchi on Wednesday assuring that the President would not disappoint Nigerians, as the country is set to move to the next level.
According to Aisha who was represented by the wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo Osinbajo, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has rekindled the hope of youths and women through the various interventions aimed at reducing poverty and providing employment.
Dolapo Osinbajo said that: “Her Excellency has asked me to remind you of the good works this administration has brought into the country. She said I should remind you of the school feeding programme, trader monie intervention, in which thousands of youths have been empowered. So you should take care of your voter cards so that on the 16th of February, you can come out and vote for the APC. You are not to only vote, but you should ensure that your vote is counted.”
In her own speech, wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hadiza Abubakar assured that the APC-led government, when reelected for another term, will do more good things for the development of the country pointing out that President Buhari has good intentions for the people of the country.
While enumerating all the positive things that the APC-led Federal Government has done for the people of the country in the past three years, Hadiza Abubakar said that no successive government has done better than what has been done by the present government at all levels.
She then appealed to women and youths from all over the North-East zone to ensure that they vote for the APC candidates at all levels because according to her that is the only way the administration can continue the good works.
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Chairman of the National Working Committee Women and Youth Presidential Campaign team, General Muhammad Buba Marwa (Rtd) in his speech at the occasion called on women not to use the popular henna henceforth in order to be able to cast their votes in the forthcoming general elections.
He said that with henna in their fingers the card reader machines will not be able to recognize their fingerprints just as the ink to be used in the thumbprint will not stick to the thumbs thereby making it difficult to cast a valid vote for the APC candidates particularly President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buba Marwa who spoke in Hausa, therefore, appealed to the women not to use the henna henceforth until after the general elections so that their votes will count.
The Presidential Campaign Chairman for Women and Youth Committee urged them to ensure that they collect their PVCs because according to him without a valid PVC they will not be able to cast their votes for the APC.
He also called on them to be law-abiding and peaceful before, during and after the elections, though he advised them to ensure that they ensure that their votes be counted by adopting the popular Hausa slogan of ‘ku tsare, ku raka, ku jira’ (protect, escort, wait).
While re-echoing the call on women not to use henna until after the general elections, a onetime Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen explained that the use of henna will not allow the women to vote.
Pauline Tallen said, “if you use henna, it will block the lines of your thumb thereby making it impossible for the card readers to identify your fingerprints and make it also impossible for the ink to stick to the thumb for printing on the ballot paper.”
The town hall meeting was attended by women and youths from all the six states in the North-East as well as other APC leaders and elected representatives.
Prominent among the dignitaries that graced the occasion were the APC National Women leader, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu; APC National Vice-Chairman Northeast, Comrade Mustapha Salihu; Nigeria Ambassador to Germany, Maitama Yusuf Tuggar, members of National Assembly, party stalwarts amongst others.
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