2023 Polls: We Can’t Continue Complaining, Time To Act Is Now – Margaret Obi

• Insists Nigeria worth fighting for

Wife of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mrs Margaret Peter Obi, says the time has come for Nigerians to stop complaining and take advantage of the golden opportunity provided by the 2023 general elections to vote for patriotic leaders with the capacity to salvage the country from collapse.

According to her, complaining will not do the citizens any good if Nigerians from all walks of life, irrespective of their ethnicity-religious affinity, do not stand up and vote for a new Nigeria where every citizen will enjoy a pride of place.

Speaking at a Town Hall Meeting with the theme: ‘Women for a new Nigeria’ held at Event Center, City Park in Abuja on Tuesday, Mrs Obi said the Obi-Datti Presidential ticket presents Nigerians with the much sought-after opportunity to vote in a leadership that truly cares and has the competence to deliver.

She told the audience; “The time for complaining is over. God has presented us with a unique opportunity and we must do our part as women, and mothers of the nation, to truly birth Nigeria we want to see. Do not despair, indeed a New Nigeria is possible, and with your participation, a New Nigeria will be born at the election polls on the 25th of February this year. Here is how we will do it.

“We are gathered here today because we are patriots who believe Nigeria is worth fighting for, It’s our home that we must build with our hands. We are here because we believe that the nation is speeding downhill in the wrong direction, and now it is approaching a cliff into a deep dark abyss.

“Together, we must take action to turn the nation around and head it in the right direction. There is no better team to lead Nigeria at a time like this than Peter Obi and Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

“Women make up 49% of the Nigerian population, and by June last year, women and youth already made up over 75% of the registered voters in Nigeria. Why then should we suffer in silence? This is why we are making this call to women, you can and must empower the nation to birth a new Nigeria.

“When things go bad, women are the ones that suffer the most. I, therefore, encourage you to look at what the candidates have to offer you as women. Look at their track record and then vote accordingly. From access to finance to healthcare, and also economic empowerment and inclusive government.”

Maintaining that “The ObiDatti policies show women that a new Nigeria where women take their rightful place is possible”, Mrs Obi said; “In finance, even though it is women that are the primary caregivers in Nigeria, many women from petty trading, to farming to small businesses to increasingly aspiring to bigger corporations, hustle to ensure their families are well catered for, it is no secret that women suffer disproportionately from lack of access to finance.

“There is a lack of access to credit in the formal sector to 98% of women, yet when you compare those that borrow money with their male counterparts, they perform better, Men have a higher default rate.

“The Obi-Datti pact with women is that they will ensure increased access to finance for women. We know that more money in the hands of women equates to a better life for our children. We are the ones that are raising the leaders of tomorrow. This is why we must step out and vote for the ObiDatti ticket and vote for the Labour Party.

Addressing the issue of human capital development, the former Anambra State First Lady said; “Many women have been rendered as economic consumers because none has invested in developing their skills to enable them to be economically productive. The ObiDatti government has promised to invest in skills training in various fields to ensure that women have the opportunity to participate as active members of the labour workforce.

“These skills will increase the earning potential of women, especially those in the rural areas, and afford them the dignity to make money for themselves, thus reducing the chances of those women being helpless victims in abusive relationships.”

Similarly, the Labour Party flag bearer’s spouse said women are disproportionately affected by inadequate healthcare in Nigeria, stressing that this challenge would be effectively addressed in the New Nigeria being promised under the ObiDatt administration

She said there will be an increase in National Health Insurance to ensure that 133 million of the poorest Nigerians are covered, including pregnant women and people living with disabilities, adding; “With the Nigerian population made up of over 49% women, women have a higher literacy rate, with between 60% – 70% literacy rate among females, yet it is so disheartening to see that only 6% of the legislature is female.”

Amplifying the need for active participation of the female gender and Nigerian youth in the electoral process, Mrs Obi said; “What happens when half of the population and more than half of the population are not in the halls where decisions that affect their lives are made? The ObiDatti government is committed to ensuring that women and youth will be represented in government by law. Not a token sprinkling of women.“

For her, it is imperative that the womenfolks and the youth populace engage actively in enlisting their friends, relatives and co-workers on the fact that a new Nigeria is possible if only they are committed to turning out en-masse on Election Day to vote for Obi-Datti ticket and the Labour Party