Abuja – President Muhammadu Buhari has said the position of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo seems threatened, following request by Conference of Nigerian Female Parliamentarians that women be placed as vice in all political appointments.
Buhari said this on Friday while hosting the Female Parliamentarians led by its President, Elizabeth Uyinmwen Ativie.
Although Buhari on April 9th declared his intention to seek reelection, he is yet to officially confirm if he will run with his deputy, Osinbajo.
Responding to the demand of the group for a female vice president of the country, Buhari jocularly said: “It is a pity the VP is not here, but I believe the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will brief him that his position is threatened.”
He stated, “It is only the Vice President who is threatened. And if we win the next election, he may lose his election.”
Buhari, who expressed his appreciation to the women for the support they have given to him in the four times he ran for president, said he was as powerful as they think.
He recalled how pregnant women queued to vote for him, asking them to extend the same support since he has declared for second term.
On their request that he should make a pronouncement that out of every three senatorial seats in the state, one slot should be ceded to a woman and out of every nine slots in the House of Representatives, at least three should be given to women, the President responded, “not as powerful as you think.”
Buhari said he lacked the powers to make such pronouncement and that the request could only be made by a military head of state, but, he had already dropped the uniform for “agbada”.
He said, “I am not all that powerful that when I talk it becomes a decree. As I said it is only the Vice President that is threatened,”he said.
Buhari allayed the fears of the women that the men were already regrouping to suppress and marginalise them in the forthcoming elections, saying that there was no such plot.
He further told the lawmakers that they were fairly treated, adding that if there was a plot against them many of them would have not been elected.
Buhari asked the delegation to disabuse the minds of other female politicians from their belief that men are aggressive, adding that the men were being fair to them by allowing them to participate in politics.
Ativie had earlier told the President that though Nigeria has gone through five elections since 1999 the political transformation was still male dominated as women are still marginalised in politics.
She said, “Your Excellency, all over the world, the issue of twinning is being advocated.
“Currently, many African and European Nations are daily finding ways to include more women in governance. Some have elected or appointed women as Heads of States, Prime Ministers, Heads of Foreign Ministries and other key positions of decision making.
“It will not be out of place Your Excellency for women to be given such opportunities in our dear nation. Even God created them male and female.”
The post 2019: Osinbajo’s Position As VP Threatened, Says Buhari appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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2019: Osinbajo’s Position As VP Threatened, Says Buhari
Description : Abuja – P resident Muhammadu Buhari has said the position of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo seems threatened, following request by Conf...
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