Pick women as running mates – Aisha Buhari to Presidential aspirants

The first lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari has urged all presidential aspirants across all political parties to adopt women as their running mates in the 2023 general election.

Mrs Buhari advised the aspirants, having fed them at Itfar (dinner) on Saturday at her invitation to the State House, Abuja.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Iftar was organised by the first lady to provide opportunity for the aspirants to share love and happiness with one another in the spirit of Ramadan and in a quest for nation building.

The first lady demanded for fair-play for women in politics so as to ensure their greater participation in elective positions.

“In fact, it is high time women are adopted as running mates at all levels considering their voting strength and active involvement in political processes.

She was optimistic that Nigeria would continue to progress as it approaches the 2023 general election while she advised the presidential hopefuls to dwell on those issues that further strengthened the nation’s bond of unity.

She recalled the sanity that attended the 2015 general election which was not contended in the Court of law and of public opinion.

“Therefore, the greatest end-of-tenure gift that fellow Nigerians can give to the first family is another free and globally-acknowledged fair election come 2023’,’ she appealed.

She called for a rancour free election among all contestants.

Reacting, representative of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the dinner, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, urged all aspirants to play politics without bitterness.

Osinbajo emphasised on unity and the need to foster unity by political players
which he believed, the dinner has offered them to meet one another.

Osinbajo said: “We should try to imbibe the spirit of oneness because at the end only one person is going to emerge winner of the Presidential election next year.

“So, it is not going to be do-or-die affairs, we should learn to practise politics without bitterness, ’’ he said.

One of the APC aspirants and former governor of Lagos State, Sen. Bola Tinubu, expressed gratitude to the first lady for bringing the diverse groups of Nigerians to share love and unity.

Tinubu, however, prayed for brotherliness, peace, unity and prosperity of Nigeria.