OWERRI — The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has appealed to voters in the South-East to support the re-election of her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the 2027 presidential election.
Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, during her official visit to the South-East for a women’s empowerment programme.
Addressing beneficiaries and other participants at the event, the First Lady said she and the President were committed to working for the development of Nigeria and expressed her desire to see a better country in her old age.
“Make una vote for Mr President, we go work for una and Nigeria go better,” she said.
“I want to enjoy Nigeria at old age, so I will work for Nigeria, for my old age,” she added.
Mrs Tinubu said the empowerment programme was being implemented through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and was designed to benefit 18,500 women across the country when fully implemented.
She said 500 women from each of the five South-East states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo — were being provided with business equipment, including generators, industrial grinding machines, gas cylinders and ovens. Voice of Nigeria reported that the items also included deep-chest freezers and maxi gas cookers with ovens.
In Imo, however, the number of beneficiaries increased from the initial 500 after Gov. Hope Uzodimma provided additional empowerment items for 2,000 women, bringing the total beneficiaries in the state to 2,500.
Following the additional intervention by the governor, Mrs Tinubu announced a cash grant of ₦100,000 for each of the 2,500 beneficiaries, bringing the additional cash support to ₦250 million. Reports said the assistance was aimed at helping the women start or expand their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
Mrs Tinubu urged the beneficiaries to use the equipment and financial assistance judiciously to improve their livelihoods and support their families.
She also commended Uzodimma for the additional intervention and the support given to the women empowerment initiative.
During the visit, the First Lady was also conferred with the traditional title “Osodieme” by the traditional institution in Imo State. The title was presented at the Eze Imo Palace in Owerri.
The empowerment programme is part of the Federal Government’s wider women-focused interventions, with the South-East rollout covering the five states simultaneously and targeting economic empowerment through productive assets and business support.
