Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, has urged women across the country to take full advantage of the ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) membership e-registration exercise to assert their place in mainstream politics.
Suleiman-Ibrahim made the call on Saturday in Lafia while monitoring the APC e-registration exercise in Nasarawa State.
She said that the exercise provided a rare opportunity for women, who often complain of being sidelined, to actively position themselves for leadership and decision-making roles within the party and the nation’s democratic process.
“This is the time for women to come into mainstream party politics. We always say that women have been sidelined, but this is an opportunity to make our voices count,” the minister said.
She expressed excitement at the level of women’s participation observed at the registration centres, noting that women of different age groups, including youths, were turning out to register.
“I am proud when I see women across all ages participating. It shows that women are ready to support the growth of the party and to benefit fully from democracy in this country,” she said.
The minister commended Nasarawa State for its strong performance in the e-registration exercise, describing the state as one of the leading states nationwide in strengthening the APC through membership mobilisation.
She also challenged women and youths who failed to participate to do so promptly, stressing that those who ignored the process had no moral ground to complain about exclusion.
According to her, she will collaborate with the APC leadership in the state to reward outstanding local governments, polling units and registration teams with incentives to encourage healthy competition and wider participation.
Suleiman-Ibrahim further announced the donation of laptop computers and cash incentives to support the registration exercise across local government areas in the state.
“We are here to support you with everything possible to ensure the success of this exercise because President Bola Tinubu, the party at the national level, and our government are fully committed,” she said.
In his remarks, Mr Aliyu Bello, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the APC, described the minister as a loyal and committed party member who had consistently supported the party and government at both state and federal levels.
Bello thanked the minister for providing logistics and financial support for the registration exercise, saying her intervention was unprecedented and would significantly boost the party’s membership drive in the state.
He urged party leaders and stakeholders to intensify mobilisation efforts at the grassroots to ensure maximum participation in the exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC e-registration exercise is aimed at expanding the party’s membership base ahead of future political engagements. (NAN)
