BY EMMA PETER
Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has called on Nigerian women and youths to massively support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the country is now positioned to reap the benefits of the reforms and transformation initiated by his administration.
Edu, who is the Co-Director of the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, ahead of the party’s presidential campaign rally scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2026.
She was in the state as part of activities organised under the women mobilisation structure of the APC PCC, representing the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in the ongoing women empowerment and grassroots mobilisation initiatives.
Edu said Nigeria had already undergone significant reforms under President Tinubu and that the priority should now be to consolidate the gains and allow Nigerians to benefit from the policies and programmes of the administration.
According to her, women and young people should recognise the opportunities created by the government and participate actively in the democratic process by supporting the President’s second-term ambition.
“The good news is that Nigeria has already been prepared. We have been through the reforms, we have been through the transformation, and right now, it is time to reap the dividends of what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has put in place.
“So, I am appealing to women and youths to come out en masse and vote for a President who has women at the heart of his government and who also has young people at the centre of his administration. He has done a lot,” she said.
The former minister cited the Federal Government’s education interventions as one of the policies she said had positively affected families, particularly through improved access to higher education.
She explained that the initiatives had helped reduce the financial pressure on parents and guardians, allowing families to redirect resources previously committed to education towards healthcare, feeding and other essential household needs.
Edu maintained that the benefits of the administration’s policies extended beyond individual beneficiaries, describing them as a collective gain for Nigerian families.
She therefore urged Nigerians, particularly women and youths, to support Tinubu’s re-election, expressing confidence that continuity would enable the administration to consolidate its achievements.
Addressing concerns about whether the empowerment of women ahead of the 2027 general elections could amount to voter inducement, Edu dismissed the suggestion, insisting that the initiatives were not newly introduced for electoral purposes.
She explained that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had consistently championed women’s empowerment since the inception of the administration in 2023, through interventions covering agriculture, healthcare, education and economic opportunities.
According to Edu, the programmes had been implemented progressively across different states and communities, stressing that the ongoing engagements were a continuation of an established commitment to improving the welfare of women.
“The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has been to almost every state in this country, empowering women in different ways, from support for farmers to healthcare, education and several other interventions.
“So, it is not something that started today. It is something she has been doing since 2023 up until now. There are also several other empowerment programmes taking place through different ministries.
“It is not a new initiative introduced today. It is simply a continuation of what has been happening over the years,” she explained.
Edu’s remarks come amid intensified political activities by the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party taking its presidential campaign to different states across the federation.
Ebonyi State is scheduled to host the APC presidential campaign rally on November 9 as the party continues its nationwide mobilisation drive to strengthen support for President Tinubu and the party ahead of the next general elections.
