We only got wrappers, bags of rice after election – Aggrieved APC women leaders

Women leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Tuesday, stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, where they protested lack of inclusion in the sharing of palliatives and appointments, saying they were used during elections and dumped afterwards.

The women led by their president, Mrs Patricia Yakubu, said after the campaigns for 2023 elections, they were excluded from the scheme of things.

Yakubu who said they were at the party’s headquarters to pass a vote of confidence on the national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, however, said despite the risks and loss of properties they took during the campaigns, they have not been recognised.

“Since after the elections, Your Excellency, you may note that, only 1 bag of rice and 1 paper wrapper was given to the states women leaders from the national secretariat of the party.

“Even the palliatives that was distributed was not given to the women leaders for onward distribution to the grassroots. We party women leaders waited and waited to no avail; very sad.

“Respectfully, we wish to notify you that the women leaders sacrificed so much towards the victory of our great party during the 2023 elections. The women slept on the grass in open spaces, took great risks at Women Development Center, Abuja, and almost in every state during electioneering period to ensure victory.

“The house of one of us was demolished on the election day by the opposition party in her state to distract her from canvassing votes for the party. The son of one of us was kidnapped a day to the presidential election.

“Another woman was detained in the police station for 3 days on the election day. Then one of us was involved in a ghastly motor accident during the campaign, because they did not want to hear of APC in her community and is still in and out of the hospital.

“Many of us got their cars damaged and some completely lost their personal cars during the campaigns and today, they are not mobile. The women have not been compensated for all their pains and sacrifices, we are feeling neglected,” she said.

The APC states women leaders pleaded with Ganduje to intervene in the situation.