Details of Aisha Buhari’s Meeting with 2023 Presidential Aspirants Emerge

Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari has held the meeting she scheduled with the 2023 presidential aspirants.

Details of the informal Ramadan (Iftar) breaking of fast meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja have also emerged as it was an occasion for her to rub minds with them and tell them her expectations.

While it lasted, Mrs Buhari asked the presidential aspirants to choose women as their running mates ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The First Lady said the purpose of inviting the presidential hopefuls to dinner at the Presidential Villa was to solicit their cooperation and support for more women involvement in governance.

The wife of the President urged political parties to give women the chance to contest elections for various elective positions across the country, adding that fair play for women in politics is important.

She said: “In fact, it is high time women are adopted as running mates at all levels considering their voting strength and active involvement in political processes.

“As we approach the 2023 election with greater hope, I am confident that Nigeria will continue to grow from strength to strength on the pedestal of our democratic tenets.”

Mrs Buhairi said the dinner was organised to allow the aspirants to share love and happiness with one another in the spirit of Ramadan and in a quest for nation-building.

The first lady enjoined the presidential hopefuls to remain focused on issues that strengthen Nigeria’s unity, brotherhood and national cohesion.

She urged all the aspirants to ensure tolerance, fair play and avoid violent tendencies by building bridges where necessary, especially during electioneering campaigns.

Mrs Buhari also used the occasion to remind the presidential aspirants that the 2015 general election was a watershed in the history of Nigeria.

According to her, “It was neither contested in the court of law, nor in the court of public opinion.

“Therefore, the greatest end-of-tenure gift that fellow Nigerians can give to the first family is another free and globally-acknowledged fair election come 2023.”

Some of the presidential aspirants who attended the event include the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed.