Only three women out of 76 were invited to key APC presidential campaign meeting

Only three women were included among the 76 persons listed to attend the inaugural All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Abuja.

The meeting, according to an internal memorandum dated 18 October and signed by the council’s Secretary, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Presidential Campaign Council headquarters on Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, Abuja.

Gender imbalance

Of the 76 names reviewed, 73 are men, and three are women, representing approximately 3.9 per cent female representation.

Only women playing the role of a secretary were invited to the top-level political mobilisation meeting.

The three women are Zainab Marwa, Secretary of the Directorate of Infrastructure Mobilisation and Sensitisation, Hadiza Usman, Assistant Secretary in the Secretariat, and Stella Okotete, listed as Secretary I in the Directorate of Election Planning, Coordination, Monitoring/Mobilisation.

The memo contains the breakdown of vice chairpersons, state coordinators, director general and deputy director generals, and various directorates listed to be in attendance.

“Kindly note that the meeting is strictly by invitation to the list of attendees as attached herewith,” the post reads.

The meeting will be attended by several prominent members of the campaign council, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke; Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo; and Mr Uzodimma.

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Also expected at the meeting are Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who are listed as deputy vice “Chairmen I, II and III,” respectively.

Other senior members of the council include Yobe State Governor Mala Buni, appointed deputy director-General I for the North, and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who is deputy director-general II for the region.

The reporter could not reach Oguwike Nwachuku, the chief press secretary to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, for comments due to poor network connectivity.

An SMS seeking his response was sent, but no response had been received at the time of publication.