Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, convened a major APC women stakeholders’ mobilisation and empowerment summit in Abuja as the party intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections. The event brought together women leaders and stakeholders from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory under the theme, “Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reforms to Prosperity.”
The summit was organised through the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, led by Dr Betta Edu, while the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, also participated in the engagement.
Oluremi Tinubu Places Women at the Centre
The First Lady urged APC women to take the administration’s message and programmes to communities across the country.
She emphasised the need for stronger grassroots structures and greater participation by women in politics, while also encouraging women seeking elective positions.
Moreover, the gathering brought together political leaders, government officials, wives of governors, women support groups and grassroots mobilisers, creating a platform for wider coordination ahead of the 2027 elections.
Betta Edu Leads Women Mobilisation Structure
The Women Mobilisation Directorate, headed by Betta Edu, is expected to play a central role in coordinating the APC’s women-focused grassroots activities.
Edu and the directorate have outlined plans to strengthen mobilisation structures across communities and expand engagement through grassroots and door-to-door activities.
The directorate has also announced an ambitious target of mobilising 40 million women voters for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential election. That figure is a campaign target announced by the APC structure, rather than an independent projection of the eventual election result.
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim Highlights Women’s Empowerment
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, also used the gathering to emphasise the importance of women’s participation in Nigeria’s social and economic development.
Her portfolio places issues including women’s empowerment, human capital development, social inclusion and protection of vulnerable groups within the broader government agenda.
At the summit, she highlighted the Federal Government’s focus on human capital development, food security and expanding economic opportunities for women.
From Abuja to the Grassroots
A central message from the summit was the need to take women-focused political engagement beyond Abuja and into communities.
The APC leadership has called on women stakeholders to return to their states, local government areas and wards and communicate government policies and programmes directly to citizens.
Consequently, the mobilisation strategy is expected to rely heavily on women-to-women networks, community meetings, grassroots engagement and direct interaction with voters.
One Structure for APC Women
Another important development from the gathering was the effort to bring different women support groups into a more coordinated campaign structure.
The First Lady called for greater unity among the various women groups supporting the APC, with the aim of improving coordination and establishing clearer responsibilities.
The move is intended to reduce fragmentation and create a more organised structure for women-led mobilisation as the 2027 political season approaches.
Women and the 2027 Political Conversation
The summit demonstrates the increasing attention being given to women as political organisers, voters and potential candidates ahead of the next general elections.
However, the mobilisation activities and targets announced at the event represent the position and strategy of the APC and its campaign structures. They should not be interpreted as evidence of how Nigerian voters will ultimately vote.
For the APC, the immediate objective is to establish functional grassroots networks capable of maintaining engagement across communities.
Ultimately, the Abuja summit has placed women’s political participation, empowerment and grassroots organisation at the centre of the party’s preparations for 2027.
With Oluremi Tinubu providing political leadership for the gathering, Betta Edu coordinating the Women Mobilisation Directorate and Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighting the government’s women-focused agenda, the event has established a framework through which the APC intends to deepen its engagement with women across Nigeria.
