2027: Amaechi Urges Women to Mobilise Votes for ADC
Women have been urged to take a more active role in grassroots mobilisation ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, calling on them to help drive voter turnout at the polling-unit level.
Amaechi made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the inauguration of the ADC Women and Youth Campaign Structures.
Drawing a parallel with the role women played in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, the former Minister of Transportation described women as an important force in political mobilisation and urged them to become more involved in the 2027 election process.
He recalled the role women played during the 2015 election campaigns, when they were mobilised to support voter turnout, and urged ADC supporters to return to their wards and polling units as the party intensifies its grassroots campaign.
Amaechi also spoke about the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, arguing that the situation had become more difficult than it was in 2015.
On education, he claimed that the number of out-of-school children had increased from between 10 million and 12 million when he left office as Minister of Transportation to about 20 million currently, with about 80 per cent of them in northern Nigeria.
The figure of about 20 million out-of-school children is widely cited, although government and development sources have acknowledged that existing estimates require updating through a comprehensive national survey.
Amaechi also claimed that the number of Nigerians affected by illiteracy had risen from fewer than 70 million under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to 92 million.
He urged ADC campaign structures to concentrate on grassroots mobilisation, setting a target of at least 2,000 votes from each ward.
“Our women who are here as wives of our governors, you are great. If anybody tells you that men are not controlled by their wives, they are lying,” Amaechi said.
Wife of the ADC presidential candidate, Titi Atiku-Abubakar, also challenged women not to remain on the sidelines of the political process.
“Women, you should not be shy. Don’t let anybody intimidate you,” she said, urging women to mobilise at least ten voters each within their communities.
She said women should take an active interest in issues affecting their children and future generations, adding that they should play a leading role in the campaign.
ADC National Women Leader, Naomi Lasara, said the party’s campaign would move from the national level to wards and polling units, with members expected to return to their local government areas and communities to mobilise support.
Other speakers at the event described the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates as supportive of women and youth participation and pledged the commitment of the ADC women and youth wings to the campaign.
The event marked another phase in the ADC’s efforts to build its grassroots campaign structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
