Details are beginning to emerge about what was discussed at the iftar dinner hosted my Nigeria’s First lady, Aisha Buhari.
Aisha had invited presidential aspirants for the 2023 General elections, to a Ramadan Iftar dinner on Saturday.
Speaking at the event which held at the state house, Abuja, the first lady enjoined the presidential hopefuls to remain focused on issues that strengthened the nation`s unity, brotherhood and national cohesion.
She urged all the aspirants to embrace tolerance, fair play and avoid violent tendencies by building bridges where necessary, especially during electioneering campaigns.
According to her, the greatest gift the aspirants can give Nigerians is a free and fair election regardless of who emerges.
Aisha also called on the presidential aspirants to choose women as their running mates ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The First Lady said one of the purpose of hosting the presidential aspirants to an iftar dinner is to solicit their cooperation and support for more women’s involvement in governance.
In her words, “In fact, it is high time women are adopted as running mates at all levels considering their voting strength and active involvement in political processes.
“As we approach the 2023 election with greater hope, I am confident that Nigeria will continue to grow from strength to strength on the pedestal of our democratic tenets.”
The New Diplomat reports that those present at the dinner are mostly aspirants contesting under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Virtually all candidates who have declared interest to contest under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were absent except Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, despite the fact that the invitation was extended to all aspirants.
Some of the presidential aspirants who attended the event include; one of the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.
Others present include; Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; Barnabas Gemade, former speaker Yakubu Dogara; Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio; Tein Jack- Rich and Adamu Garba.
