The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to implementing policies and programmes aimed at empowering women across Nigeria, saying the administration will continue to break barriers limiting their participation in national development.
Shettima stated this on Monday when he received members of Nigerian Women for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 (NWFTAS 2027), an All Progressives Congress (APC) support group campaigning for the re-election of President Tinubu and the Vice President.
The delegation was led by the group’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, High Chief (Dr.) Bisola Sodipo Edwin Clark, and its National Coordinator and Convener, CSI Elsie Morgan Mangai (rtd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Vice President described women as critical to the growth and stability of society, assuring the group of the administration’s support for its activities and programmes.
“Women are the backbone of every society, and the growth and stability of every society. A nation is judged by the way they treat their women,” he said.
Shettima added that President Tinubu was committed to supporting initiatives that would improve the participation and welfare of women in the country.
“I want to convey to you the goodwill and the assurance as well as maximum support of Mr President to enable you carry out your activities,” the Vice President said.
Earlier, Mangai said the delegation visited the Presidential Villa to brief Shettima on the group’s objectives and activities as a political support organisation.
She pledged the group’s support for the Tinubu administration, promising to mobilise Nigerians, particularly women, to vote for the APC presidential ticket in the 2027 general election.
According to her, the group was established out of its belief in the administration’s leadership and economic reform agenda.
“We did not deceive any woman with promises or money. We told them sincerely why we believe the consolidation of you and Mr President should continue to complete what you both started,” Mangai said.
She compared the administration’s economic reforms to the resetting of a broken bone, which requires time and space to heal, expressing confidence that the policies would produce positive results.
“The bold step taken by this administration in reforming the economy is akin to the resetting of a broken bone, which requires time and space to heal. We are convinced that Nigeria is in the hands of a good captain capable of navigating the ship to a safe harbour,” she said.
Mangai also commended Shettima’s advocacy for national unity, citing his position that the issues uniting Nigerians outweigh their differences.
Quoting the Vice President, she said, “What binds us together supersedes what divides us.”
She added that the message remained important at a time when national cohesion required sustained commitment from leaders and citizens.
“At a time when our national cohesion requires commitment, your words serve as a compelling reminder that our shared values, common aspirations and collective destiny are far greater than our differences,” she said.
The group’s national coordinator also praised Shettima’s humility, loyalty to the President and peaceful leadership, describing these qualities as examples they wanted younger generations to emulate.
“At a time when politics is loud, you have remained calm; when loyalty is scarce, you have remained faithful. As mothers raising children, that is the character we want our children to learn,” Mangai said.
She explained that the decision to adopt the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 name followed observations of the relationship between the President and his deputy, as well as the administration’s willingness to introduce economic reforms.