First Lady Urges APC Female Leaders to Focus on Figures, Not Femininity in Politics

Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has advised female politicians to focus on building robust relationships with their constituents, emphasizing that success in politics is more dependent on numerical strength and grassroots support than gender.

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This counsel was offered while hosting women leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja, where Mrs Tinubu underscored the importance of regular engagement with the people through town hall meetings and other direct interaction methods.

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Her remarks were made against the backdrop of concerns over the low number of women who emerged successful in the recently concluded party primaries, prompting questions on the APC's strategy to encourage greater female participation in politics.

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According to the First Lady, party structures and grassroots mobilisation are critical factors in electoral success, noting that "there are party structures that you have to acknowledge" and "politics is not about gender; it's about numbers".

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Mrs Tinubu urged women aspiring for political office to earn the trust of the people by maintaining close contact with their communities, asking rhetorically, "They have to connect with the people whose trust they want, they have to connect."

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She commended APC women leaders for their grassroots mobilisation efforts and encouraged them to sustain their engagement with party members and communities, expressing optimism about the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration.

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The First Lady noted that significant progress had been made in addressing national challenges over the past three years, saying "we have identified the problems and we are working to fix them, it will take time to sing our victory song, but this administration has done a lot in three years".

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Describing Nigeria as "a great country with a huge future", Mrs Tinubu pointed to ongoing investments in road and rail infrastructure as evidence of efforts to improve connectivity and economic development, noting that "flights are expensive everywhere, even in America, but the President is working on roads and rail to connect our people".

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The First Lady highlighted the recent "10 Million Women, One Voice" initiative and a women's rally held ahead of the meeting, describing both as important steps toward greater female participation and empowerment, and advocating making the programme an annual national event focused on celebrating women and supporting vulnerable groups.

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Mrs Tinubu disclosed that buses donated to support party activities had been distributed to various APC zones for use by women and party members, and encouraged women to aspire to public office, noting that "the minimum requirement to run for office is a school certificate; you can aspire, but more education helps you stand firm".

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She stressed the importance of balancing political engagement with family responsibilities, arguing that strong homes remain the foundation of a stable society, saying "you can do politics and keep your home, even though I play politics, I take care of my home".

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According to her, many social challenges confronting the country can be traced to problems within the family structure, noting that "many of the restiveness we see stems from the home, raise good children and build solid homes".

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The First Lady further urged women leaders to help citizens access employment and empowerment opportunities by providing guidance on application processes, saying "there are jobs, but many people don’t know how to apply, tell them to use the portal, if the application is online, apply online — don’t miss the chance".

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She also reiterated the need for a national census to provide accurate demographic data for effective planning and development, saying "I can’t wait till the government has a census so that we can know the people we are planning for".