…Target 10m voters, claim women account for 65% of electorate
The National Alliance of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (NAMWAN) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to recognise Muslim women’s contributions to politics and accord them greater attention, representation and support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The association also expressed its readiness to mobilise millions of women to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying it has an existing network of two million members with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and is targeting 10 million voters before the election.
Its National President, Dr Sameera Abubakar Abdullahi, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a gathering of Muslim women leaders and representatives of about 20 women’s associations brought together under the NAMWAN platform.
She said Muslim women had contributed significantly to political mobilisation and electoral participation over the years but had not received adequate recognition for their efforts.
According to her, the association was established to unite Muslim women, strengthen their collective voice and create opportunities for them to participate more meaningfully in politics and national development.
Abdullahi said NAMWAN had structures from the polling-unit level to the national level, which it intended to use to mobilise women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for Tinubu’s re-election.
She, however, stressed that the association needed the support of the APC-PCC and other Tinubu support groups to expand its grassroots activities.
“We need support from the PCC, the Asiwaju support groups and the Director-General himself. We know our strength, our drive and what we can contribute to society,” she said.
The NAMWAN president said the association was seeking financial assistance, transportation, skills acquisition programmes and other forms of support to enable its members to reach rural communities, conduct advocacy and undertake empowerment initiatives.
She explained that the association had been funding its entrepreneurship, sensitisation and other activities through contributions from members and their respective organisations.
Abdullahi, however, maintained that the women were determined to support Tinubu in 2027, irrespective of whether they received assistance from the campaign council.
She cited road infrastructure, particularly the Kaduna-Kano road, and government entrepreneurship programmes as some of the reasons for the association’s support for the President.
The association’s president also emphasised the need for sustainable economic empowerment, education, vocational training, affordable financing and improved healthcare for women, particularly widows, rural women and other vulnerable groups.
In her welcome address, Abdullahi said NAMWAN was established to bring Muslim women associations together without undermining their individual identities, but to strengthen collaboration and improve access to opportunities.
She said the alliance aimed to build a coordinated national structure through which women’s concerns could be communicated to decision-makers and their participation in governance enhanced.
The association also announced plans to organise a gathering of 1,000 Muslim women as part of efforts to engage the APC-PCC leadership and seek an audience with the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to discuss women’s development and possible areas of collaboration.
Among the dignitaries invited to the Abuja gathering were the National Chairman of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Dr Abdullahi Bala Lau, who served as chairman of the occasion; the APC-PCC Director-General, Senator Abdul-Azeez Yari, the special guest of honour; and the JIBWIS Secretary-General, Sheikh Dr Muhammad Kabir Haruna Gombe, who was the keynote speaker.
Other invited goodwill message speakers included Malama Sayyada Alaika of Bauchi State, Malama Barakatu Adamu of the National Qadiriyya, Dr Zainab Aliyu Abubakar and Ummu Shuhada.
The event also featured Muslim women leaders, Islamic scholars, representatives of member associations and other invited guests. NAMWAN’s national executives, including its National Secretary, Malama Mariya Nasir El-Ladan; Deputy President, Ambassador Amina Haruna Shanono; and National Public Relations Officer, Malama Dayyiba Umar, were also acknowledged.
The association called for stronger partnerships between government institutions and credible women’s organisations, stressing that Muslim women deserved meaningful engagement before, during and after elections.
It maintained that its broader mission extended beyond political mobilisation to building an inclusive platform that would promote women’s economic independence, education, leadership and participation in national development.
Source: New Telegraph
