The All Progressives Congress (APC) female presidential aspirant, Uju Ken-Ohanenye says Nigeria is due for a female president that will bring in a mother’s touch to address the country`s challenges according to Premium Times.

She said the country needed a woman in a position of authority to drive her to greater heights.

Mrs Ken-Ohanenye, a legal practitioner, is the only APC female presidential aspirant for the 2023 General Election.

“The touch of a woman is lacking in the governance of this country, and the earlier the men dropped their ego and admit this fact, the better for us all.

“I will take Nigeria as my child, the country wants a mother and that is why I am in the race to bring in that mother’s touch that the country needs at this time.

“I have no godfather, all I have is Nigerians and am not going to back out of the race because of men, for I know I have the Nigerian electorate as my backbone.

“I am confident that Nigerians are tired of men being in positions of authority and they want female to take over come 2023,’’ Mrs Ken-Ohanenye said.

She added that she was ready to drive her points across to men and fight to the end as far as she had the permission of Nigerians.

She said it was time for women to be at the helm of affairs in the country, noting that men had been in control of governance for over 40 years without achieving much.

“We cannot continue that way, a woman should be given a chance, we need a mother; that is what the country had been lacking,’’ she said.

Mrs Ken-Ohanenye said if elected president in 2023, she would give 60 per cent political appointments to women and 40 per cent to men.

This, she said, was because men had given their best which was not good enough.

The presidential aspirant promised to give the youth priority in her administration if given the mandate, adding that she would create enabling environment for businesses to flourish and skills acquisition centres for youths.

She noted that the involvement of youth in governance would go a long way in addressing restiveness and banditry in the country.

“I need a chance to prove how education and how important every Nigerian is, and I cannot get that chance without all of you.

“I believe that if you are shown how important you are by getting you involved in governance, and giving you an enabling environment to achieve your dreams, the sky would be our limit in this country and banditry and other illegalities will gradually come to an end,’’ she said.

According to her, if all Nigerians are given equal rights and justice and everyone is recognised irrespective of religion and tribal sentiments, the country will be a better place.

Mrs Ken-Ohanenye, however, said the starting point was for youth to get registered to enable them to vote their preferred candidates into positions of authority in the coming elections.

She charged youth not to be induced by the stipends politicians may offer them to get their votes, saying that it was time to vote rightly.

She said there was a need for all to shun selfishness and greed if the country must move forward, adding that the 2023 general election was critical as its outcome would determine the country`s future.

It was reported that Odua Youths Parliament, National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students and West African Students Union endorsed Mrs Ken-Ohanenye as their preferred 2023 presidential aspirant at the event.

Abdulmageed Oyeniyi, Speaker Odua Youths Parliament, said the parliament would organise a 10 million man-match for Mrs Ken-Ohanenye and also contribute funds to her campaign

Alhaji Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a presidential hopeful of the party, said his major aim is to help those who are extremely poor in Nigeria.

Tinubu stated this in Bauchi when he met with the delegates of the party.

He told the Bauch delegates that he would win the presidential election with their support.

The former governor of Lagos state also said he wanted to serve Nigeria and make it change for the better, hence his decision to contest the exalted position.

He said: “Let me greet and appreciate all of you who have been waiting here for a long time while we were perambulating the city of Bauchi.

“I am one of those running to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I am very sure, with your support, I will win.

“I’ve demonstrated my capacity, quality, and brilliance in governance in Lagos state. I’ve been a very successful private sector person and joining politics is not a joke in an experience, it’s not a small thing.

“I want to serve my country, I want Nigeria to change, help those who are extremely poor, give priority to education, give priority to power generation so that we can have industrial growth.

“I am a serious-minded man. Those who rule Lagos now will testify that it’s a different nation within the country,” he said.

He, however, called on all members of the party in the state to be united and shun any form of animosity or differences for the success of the party.

The APC presidential hopeful added that he had observed that members of the party were not as united as he had anticipated, adding that he would do anything possible to develop unity among them.

“If you decide to work together, nobody can beat you in Bauchi.”

Former vice president of Nigeria and presidential aspirant of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to end insurgency in the North East if he becomes Nigeria’s president.

Atiku made the promise on Thursday when he met with delegates, stakeholders and other members of the PDP in Borno and Yobe at Forshams Events Center in Maiduguri.

‘If I was elected as the next president of this country, I swear I will end the insecurity bedeviling the North East zone and the country at large,’ Mr. Abubakar said, while commending the delegates for their support to him during the last general election.

‘I was here in 2018 and you ‘delegates’ promised me to give me your votes and you fulfilled your promises by voting for me.

‘I want you to also do the same this time around and in sha Allah if you do so, we will take over power from the ruling party,’ he added.

He said that it is now time for the northeastern region to rule the country.

The Director General of Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organization, Sen. Abdul Ningi said Borno and Yobe is Atiku’s second home.

Sen. Ningi, said they are not here for campaign but to remind the delegate and other party members of their brother’s ambition, he added that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has all it takes to be Nigeria’s next president.

‘He is a former vice president, so he has the experience and the technical know-how to rule this country,’ Mr. Ningi said.

While responding, both the party chairmen of the two states assured him of their votes and wished him success and victory in the upcoming primary election of the party.

A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Aminu Tambuwal, has promised that he would strengthen and expand the South-West Regional security Network popularly called Amotekun as well as restructure the country.

Tambuwal, who spoke at the PDP secretariat in Osogbo, listed strengthening the South-West security network for proper policing and possible adoption as state police as a major part of his plan.

“Insecurity is a major issue across the country and for the south-west and as part of my belief in restructuring, I will strengthen Amotekun and possibly adopt it as a state police for the region.”

Speaking on restructuring, the governor said the nation cannot shy away from restructuring even though it means different things to different people.

“Restructuring differs across the regions but we must come forward and argue it. I present my fact, you present yours and we find a common ground to achieve it. Devolution of power to states is a must if we must progress in Nigeria.”

The governor later proceeded to the residence of Senator Demola Adeleke to congratulate him on his affirmation by a federal high court in Osogbo as the validly elected candidate of the PDP for the July 16 governorship election.

In Ogun, the chairman of the PDP governors’ forum said providing a conducive business environment to expand industrialisation in Ogun as well as agriculture are his plans for the state should he emerge as President of Nigeria.

“Honourable Ladi Adebutu is here and he can confirm that a conducive business environment is what businessmen need. This I know and I will ensure I provide for proper expansion of industrialisation in Ogun state. Of course like I said in Osun, State police is a must. We must give more powers to the states if we must develop as a nation.”

Engaging the delegates further, the former speaker said he has the right qualities to lead Nigeria and want the delegates to vote with a clear mind devoid of sentiments.

“We must circumspect in electing who becomes our flag-bearer. We cannot afford to experiment again. We need a president who can engage his peers in international politics and with the right network. We need a president who has the right temperament, capacity, and competence and if you look at all of these factors, I check the box.

“I’m well qualified to lead Nigeria. With my background as a lawyer and a life bencher, 12 years of legislative experience and seven years as Governor of Sokoto State, I know what the issues are and I will assemble the best team across the length and breadth of our Nation,” he said.

The New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), is waxing stronger in Yobe State with the defection of a former federal lawmaker, Aliyu Yakubu Mainasara, alongside 128 into its fold.

The defectors were mostly from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Social Democratic Party, SDP.

One of the defectors and ex-federal lawmaker representing Potiskum/Nangere Federal Constituency of Yobe state, Aliyu Yakubu Mainasara, cited injustice, lack of level playing ground and confusion that are rocking APC in the state as some of the reasons that forced him out of the ruling party.

Mainasara was a member of the House Representatives under PDP from 2011-2015, he later joined APC and now shifted his loyalty to NNPP with the hope of returning to the green chamber on the platform of his new party.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Yobe State chapter, Alhaji Yakubu Shehu Damagum, said what is going on in Yobe State right from inception of democratic dispensation is an additional circle of those who have been in leadership positions.

“We have a lot of youths in Yobe, what we are doing now as a party is to sensitize them about their future in our party.

“We will give both women and youths the opportunity to participate in the new beginning under our party and we know that we will make a great party in Yobe State,” Damagum said.

The NNPP Chairman also observed that most of the party’s members are youths and therefore have the strength to keep the party going for a longer time.

“Most of the youths are from 35 years down and then women, who also make the greater part of our party,” he said.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria requires a leader driven by passion and madness to rule the country and put it on the right footing.

Obasanjo, who stated this when he played host to a presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, at his Abeokuta, Ogun State residence, said he is mad about Nigeria and has no apology for that.

He lamented that the current situation in Nigeria is not only agonising for him, but for other Nigerians who also desire a better country.

The former President insisted that, Nigeria can overcome its security challenges within two years with the right leader who is willing to make tough decisions.

Obasanjo, therefore urged Nigerians to brace up and be ready to made sacrifices to put the country back on the right path.

His words: “Some people say the human memories are short, maybe they are right because if human memories are not short, some of the mistakes that we are making, we will not be making them.

“Yes, we have a record which some people may find a little bit not what they want to hear, but whatever people want to hear, I believe like you (Hayatu-Deen) have rightly said, that this period is not like any other period in the history of Nigeria and you used two words, decomposing and dissolving. I can’t find any better words to describe the situation we have found ourselves.

“It is an agonising situation for you obviously and also for me. I want to emphasise the point that the Nigerian situation, bad as it is, will only be put right by Nigerians at the forefront of our situation. So, Nigerians have to brace themselves up to do what needs to be done to put Nigeria back on the right path.

“And you are right in saying that wherever you go now, one of the things you hear is that Nigeria is not on the table, but why shouldn’t Nigeria be on the table? What does it cost Nigeria to be on the table?

“I will say four things, of which I was reminded this morning. One is knowledge. If Nigeria is not at the table, maybe the knowledge that we should have of ourselves, of our situation, of our continent and indeed of the world is not that adequate, if that knowledge is adequate, we will do what is right, when it is right and how it is right.

“The second is vision, what is the vision that we have? And if you have no vision, you may have eyes, but you are blind. And I believe that is part of our situation.

“The third is passion. And when you said, that you are involved in this, with a passion and I was telling some people this morning that, passion means madness, that you are mad about Nigeria, I am and I have no apologies for that because I have no other country I can call my own and I have no other country I can go to and say yes, I have come to live here.

“Passion means being mad about Nigeria, having a touch of madness and I look at you (Hayatu-Deen) and say yes, you are mad about Nigeria too.”

Earlier in his remarks, Hayatu-Deen declared that, Nigeria is “decomposing and dissolving very fast.”

Hayatu-Deen, a former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, is currently meeting with the PDP delegates at the party secretariat in Abeokuta.