The first female presidential aspirant in the All Progressives Congress, Ms Uju Ohanenye, has bought the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms in Abuja.
Shortly after buying the forms on Thursday, Ohanenye said that she would not allow male aspirants in the race to intimidate her.
She stated that “My fear is that men will want to muscle me out, but I am standing firmly for the people I am here to protect.
“They will want to push me over, but I cannot be intimidated. I have been emboldened.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the APC’s presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms sell for N100 million.
Female aspirants, youths and persons with disability vying for any elective office on the platform of the party are to pay 50 per cent of the cost.
Ohanenye said that like the male presidential aspirants, she had what it would take to lead the country to the next phase of development.
She said she would withdraw from the race for any aspirant with the vision and desire to address growing poverty and insecurity in the country, stressing that “It is so obvious and all of us know that it is time for a mother to come on board.
“As it is today, considering the state of insecurity in the country and other things, children need motherly care; we can understand that from their attitude.
“I have never been a politician, but because of what I have seen, I just felt I should come on board.
“The major solution I am bringing on board is to involve the commoners and the less privileged in the governance of the country,’’ she said.
The female lawyer said that there was the need to involve the common man in the governance of the country and to create job opportunities for the teaming unemployed youths.
She said Nigerian youths were very intelligent and should not be allowed to be engaged in anti-social activities.
“I am going to localise the construction of roads and many other things.
“I won’t copy the Westerners all through because they have their ways of constructing roads, which make the construction very expensive,’’ she said.
She explained that locals would be engaged in road construction to get them involved and to enable them to earn incomes to reduce unemployment and keep the people busy and out of mischief.
Ohanenye added, “I want to be out for all Nigerians, be you Christian, Muslim, male, female; I don’t care. I just want to be there to ensure that everybody feels good.
“Lack of love, selfishness and bias are the causes of insecurity; people no longer feel any sense of belonging or reason to live.’’
The APC special presidential primary convention is scheduled to hold between Monday, May 30 and Wednesday, June 1.
(NAN)
