We Only Got Wrappers, Bags Of Rice After Election – Aggrieved APC Women Leaders

• APC women leaders protest alleged lack of inclusion in palliative distribution and appointments, citing post-election sidelining despite campaign efforts
• Led by Patricia Yakubu, they express disappointment over meager rewards and appeal to party chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje for intervention

Women leaders representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) staged a protest at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday. Their grievance stemmed from the perceived lack of inclusion in the distribution of palliatives and appointments, alleging that they were utilized during elections but sidelined thereafter.

Led by their president, Mrs. Patricia Yakubu, the women expressed disappointment at being sidelined following their efforts during the 2023 election campaigns. They lamented that despite their sacrifices, they received meager rewards, with only one bag of rice and a paper wrapper distributed to state women leaders from the national secretariat of the party.

Yakubu emphasized the significant contributions made by the women leaders to secure victory for the APC during the elections. She recounted instances of personal sacrifice, including sleeping in open spaces, facing risks at the Women Development Center in Abuja, and enduring challenges such as demolished homes, kidnapped family members, detainment, accidents, and damaged vehicles.

“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.