Wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan has canvassed the support of women in the country for the re-election of her husband, Dr Goodluck Jonathan come March 28 presidential election, even as she praised Jonathan’s administration for upholding the 35 percent affirmative action for women in the country.
Vanguard Newspaper reports that the First Lady was speaking in Ado Ekiti Monday during the continuation of the mobilization of women for support of president Jonathan second bid in office, said a vote for Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) during the election is a vote for the progress and continuity of good things to come especially for women in the country.
Mrs Jonathan who was accompanied by arrays of PDP women leaders including the wife of Senate President, Mrs Helen Mark, the PDP national women leader, Dr ( Mrs)Kema Chikwe, the National Director, PDP Women Mobilization, Dr Becky Igwe , Wife of Minister of Transport, Hajiah Awar Idris and a host of others, Mrs Jonathan said her husband has ensured that women secured at least 16 out of the 42 seats in the Federal Executive Council.
The First Lady who reeled out some of the achievements of her husband in office, said this is the first time in the country in which a woman would be appointed Chief Justice of the Federation and President of the Court of Appeal
“This is a government who believe in women that you are intelligent that you went to school, he appointed one of you as a Minister of Finance and the coordinating Minister of Economy.
“Also because of the confidence Mr President has for women, he has appointed one of you as a Minister of Petroleum who is now the president of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC )
She said the president has embarked on many projects that are beneficial for women through the office of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and SURE-P that would raise the standard of women in the country.
Mrs Jonathan urged women to ask the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) what he had done for women when he had opportunity to rule Nigeria as a one time Head of State and his plans for women now.
“Ask them questions on what they have done for the women when they had opportunity of ruling the country, vote wisely vote for president Jonathan, don’t vote for those saying “I will, l will
“On education, Mr president established 13 federal universities in which Ekiti State is a beneficiary, he has recently approved the establishment of additional 9 private universities in the country and he has taken special interest on girl-child education.
Mrs Jonathan commended the state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose and her wife, Feyisetan for the good work they are doing to uplift the standard of women in the state.
She, however, enjoined the women to pick their Persmanent Voting Card( PVC) and come out and vote for her husband and other PDP candidates in the election.
Speaking at the occasion, the state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose said he has no regret to be associating with the Jonathan family, saying the emergence of Jonathan as the president was God ordained.
Fayose who reasoned that the coming together of people with strange political backgrounds claiming to support Gen Buhari was nothing than conspiracy.
“When you continue to see dogs, goats and snakes coming together as friends to hijack power ,then there is something wrong somewhere, it is nothing but conspiracy.
The governor, however urged people of northern extraction to wait till 2019 and present a young, dynamic and energetic president that would rule for four unbroken eight years.
