Kaduna women urge Aisha Buhari to support female presidential candidate

The Kaduna Women Vanguard (KWV) has challenged First Lady, Aisha Buhari to back her words with action by supporting the presidential ambition of renowned philanthropist, Amb Funmi Ayinke.

The group said, as a known advocate of the girl-child and gender equality, Mrs Buhari must throw her weight behind a frontline female aspirant at the next presidential polls.

The Kaduna-based group made this known in a statement on Monday signed by its coordinator, Zainab Ibrahim.

Through her foundation, Future Assured, the First Lady has serially advocated for the wellbeing of women, children and adolescents in the country.

Mrs Buhari recently took her advocacy to another level when she led the wife of the Vice-President and other top women in government to show support for female-related bills.

However, Ms Ibrahim believes all these will be an exercise in futility and a mere jamboree should the First Lady fail to support a female presidential aspirant, particularly Ayinke.

According to her, it is only when Mrs Buhari does that all her buzz about the girl-child can be taken seriously.

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Ibrahim said the female youths in Kaduna singled out Ayinke owing to her philanthropy and track record of excellence in service delivery.

She said as an internationally acclaimed engineer, Ayinke has set the path for young Nigerian women in a profession that is traditionally reserved for men.

Ibrahim said not only has Ayinke excelled, but she has also outclassed her male counterparts and would continue that trend if given the country’s leadership.

She also noted that over 100,000 vulnerable Nigerians have been impacted by her own foundation, many of whom are women.

“Her Excellency, Aisha Buhari is a role model for many young Nigerian women. She has distinguished herself and carried a cause that has affected every one of us,” she said.

“However, we believe she can do more. We want our mother to support a female aspirant to succeed her husband. By our own assessment, that woman should be Engr Dr Ayinke.

“Ayinke epitomizes excellence. She is a mother of many, a builder and a giver. We believe these qualities are rare in today’s society. Let’s all join hands to make this dream a reality,” she added.