The presidency has decried the unabated attack on First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, by the All Progressives Congress (APC) describing it as “politics taken too far”.
A statement issued late Wednesday by Godwin Akpovie, Special Assistant, Political, in the office of the Political Adviser to the President, accused the APC of constantly heating up the polity under the guise of defending the masses, who are not fooled by their antics.
The newly-registered party had through its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, criticized the “Peace Rally” organized by the First Lady in conjunction with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS).
The event which held on Thursday, 15 August, 2013, was put together to acknowledge the role of women in the peace initiatives of Government and also celebrate the unprecedented attainment of highly-visible positions at all levels being occupied by women in the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
APC however maintained that there is nothing to celebrate, accusing the First Lady of kick-starting an early campaign for the 2015 presidential elections.
Mohammed in a statement said “While one of the PDP gong-bearer, Okupe, was telling Nigerians that President Jonathan has not informed anyone that he will contest in 2015, his wife was coercing hundreds of hapless women, including those in uniform, into a show of shame tagged a “Peace Rally”, but in essence, a campaign for President Jonathan ahead of 2015”. He further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to sanction anyone responsible for the event.
But Akpovie said the rally was in order as it was meant to further appreciate the hard work and contribution of women in economic development and nation building.
He further stated that: “For the records, let’s examine the ‘shameful’ show the First Lady is accused of. According to Mohammed, it is ‘shameful’ for Mr. President to have fulfilled the 35% representation in his cabinet he promised the women during his 2011 electioneering campaign.
“The 13 women ministers in the 42-man cabinet are holding sensitive ministries like Finance, Petroleum, Aviation, Information Communication Technology, Defence, Power, Foreign Affairs among others. To Lai, it is ‘shameful’ for the women to celebrate the elevation of one of them as head of the Judiciary arm of Government and the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Jonathan and approved by the Senate. It is ‘shameful’ for the women to celebrate the unprecedented appointments of women permanent secretaries both at the Federal and State levels. It is ‘shameful’ to jubilate about the elections of higher number of women in the Senate, House of Representatives and the various States Houses of Assembly.
The Special Assistant noted that Li Mohammed’s characteristic knee jerk reaction to issues has impaired his reasoning, which is why he believes all these and many more are ‘shameful’ acts that are not worth celebrating.
Continuing, “The Nigerian women have never had it so good and they have every reason to roll out the drums as far as many of us are concerned. I am sure Nigerian women are waiting for him and his party at the polls to show their displeasure at being disparaged when the time comes.
“Talking about early campaign for 2015, can Alhaji lai Mohammed extract any political statement uttered by the First Lady at the rally? As everybody knows by now, the First Lady used the occasion to call on the Legislature to insert in the Nigerian Constitution the 35% affirmative action for women which will then compel any administration to adhere to this provision and free the women from the discretion, pleasure or otherwise of successive Presidents. Would that not be a lasting legacy if passed by the National Assembly? That is what Lai calls campaigning and wants INEC to sanction the First Lady for that. If there is any group that should be sanctioned, it is Lai Mohammed and his party because they have refused to stop campaigning since the end of the 2011 elections.
According to him, the defunct ACN, CPC and ANPP tried to hoodwink Nigerians by staging rallies round the whole country in the name of merger consultation.
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