Women groups march in support of Jonathan’s re-election

THOUSANDS of career women, including traders from the six states of the South-West geo-political zone, on Friday staged a solidarity march in support of the re-election bid of the incumbent president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

   The 15 women groups, including Transparency for Action, during a road show, marched from Moshalashi in Mushin through Ojuelegba in Surulere and down the ever-busy Western Avenue in Lagos, singing praises of Jonathan as they also called for his re-election in the February 14, 2015 polls.

    In some of the messages displayed on placards, the women posited that President Jonathan’s works have projected Nigerian women positively.

    Generally, the women said the Jonathan administration gave women 30 per cent representation, which was the first of its kind.

  They called on women nationwide and other Nigerians to come out en masse for the re-election of President Jonathan at the forthcoming polls.

   Some of the placards displayed by the women groups carried inscriptions such as ‘Goodluck-Our Champion; Goodluck for Women’, ‘Goodluck- Women Life go Better’, ‘Goodluck for Peace and Progress for Nigeria’ and many others.’

  More women apparently joined before the road show eventually terminated at the National Stadium, Surulere in the evening.

  It was such an exciting event with different artistes and musicians entertaining participants in the road show.

  One of the women described the show as a way of celebrating the good works and success of P Jonathan.

  Speaking at the event, Mrs. Monica Etido, a trader, said: “We are women from Lagos State. This march is our own way of supporting the works of Jonathan. Look back and think, among all the presidents Nigeria has produced, only Jonathan has remembered women in the scheme of things.  He can do more, if re-elected.”

   Etido urged citizens who have failed to give “honour to whom honour is due” to have a rethink. 

  She lamented that tribalism and wickedness have made some Nigerians not to see the ability in the incumbent president.

     The Coordinator, Kauna Women Support Group, Pastor Beatrice Okechukwu said: “The event is very successful. It has to be so, pointing to all the people-oriented programmes of President Jonathan, which she said were visible and a cardinal point of reference. 

   “This is why we the women in South-West are pulling our support for the re-election of the incumbent president. People seem to have forgotten quickly where we were coming from.”

  She added: “People seem to have forgotten the state of things before this administration came to power. We were almost in a state of collapse. We can see clearly that our President is building the structure of a greater Nigeria. He is the first president who took a bold step to appoint over 30 per cent of women into strategic positions in his cabinet.”   

  “President Jonathan is always quick to react to the plight of women and so we want to pay back his magnanimity to the women by rallying all and sundry to support him at the forthcoming elections.” 

    A teacher, Mrs. Kemi Oluwajana, said what gladdened her heart was that the President had given Nigerian women a voice.

   Oluwajana, who was confident Jonathan would be re-elected in the February polls, asked for more women to be given political positions. “Jonathan has given women voice. We wouldn’t mind if he could increase it from 30 per cent to 50 per cent. He will do it, women are supporting Jonathan. He has done well and continuity is the best thing for us,” she noted.