By Adeola Ogunlade
Director, ICC Professional Women Directorate, Engr Atinuke Wuraola Owolabi has called on professionals to come en mass and vote for the Presidential Candidate of All Progressive Congress, (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our incumbent Governor in Lagos State, Governor. Babajide SanwoOlu in the 2023 election as voting for duo signal a new dawn for professional participation and inclusiveness in politics.
Owolabi said yesterday at the Interactive Session Organised By ICC, Professional Women Directorate held today at LCCI, Lagos.
Tagged: Involvement of professionals in Elections and Electioneering process had 50 professional bodies in attendance.
She said “as professionals it’s time to take the bull by the horn. We need to make ourselves involved in decision making, no more sitting on the fence, no more voter apathy”.
“This is the first of its kind in the annals of history of electioneering process that the professionals will be recognised and reckoned with. Now, we have a Directorate that will always be a voice to all the Professional bodies before and after election”, .
“We have a mission to influence even more people than we ever had in the history of our nation to participate in the forthcoming elections.
All indices, including those from INEC indicate that there are more eligible voters than we ever had. We hope to leverage on this to make history, not just influencing more voters, but to influence them in making the right choice”, she said.
She posited that in our Directorate, we have taken it upon ourselves to embark on a massive engagement with members of the multi-sectoral professions that include Engineers, Aviators, Architects, Doctors, Surveyors, Builders, Pharmacists, Lawyers, Journalists, Entrepreneurs etc, which you all sited here are a part of.
We deem it fit to organise this interactive session to project the manifestos of the APC Government.
“A feedback from the elites and professionals in the polity will go a long way in assisting the government in decision making if elected come 25th of February and 11th of March 2023 respectively”.
“We have a goal to ensure all eligible voters are engaged to secure their votes having realised that most of the intellectuals are ignorant of some basic voting process. i.e PVC check, location of your polling unit before Saturday and casting your vote correctly by using the index finger, and fold longitudinally so that the ink does not smear on other part of the form”.
“The choice of a renewed hope for the average citizen of Nigeria and a better tomorrow for the youth of today who are the leaders of tomorrow, and a Greater Lagos that is rising will only be actualized by voting APC at all levels, particularly our Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our incumbent Governor in Lagos State, Gov. Babajide SanwoOlu”.
“Our target in Lagos State is to get 5 million votes. This we can achieve, this we will achieve”, she said.
In His Words, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, Director-General, Tinubu/ Shettima- Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat Independent Campaign Council, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, charged the Professionals to galvanise all our people to vote for the best Professional on the ballot, a visionary, great achiever, Leader of leaders, thinker & doer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We must proceed from this interactive session to campaign House to House, Horo si horo, koro si koro, Victory is assured, but landslide victory is sweeter and will be achieved by God’s grace.
“On March 11th, we repeat the landslide victory for our action, performing Governor, Mr. Sellable, Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. Indeed , the Professionals are an indispensable class. We must keep the flag of enhanced involvement in Elections and Electioneering process flying”, he said.
He posited that we must be intentional to have Professionals sensitized to participate, get better involved in strategic & scenario planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of elections, electioneering and indeed the democratic process
He advised the Women Directorate transmute into an Advocacy Group after the Campaigns, towards achieving the following, among others: Engendering enhanced participation of professionals as card carrying Party members, Mobilise towards better voter responsibility thereby combating voter apathy, greater involvement of professionals in policy formulation, articulation & implementation and continuous engagement of government at all levels towards delivering an egalitarian society for all.