APC zonal women leaders up in arms against Edu, sources at secretariat say angst misplaced

Adebayo Obajemu

The elected female National All Progressives Congress (APC) officers and Zonal Women Leaders have voiced their angst against the continued leadership of Dr Betta Edu, the National Women Leader.

But Edu, a former commissioner in Cross Rivers State said their anger is borne out of the fact that her desire to do the right thing is at odds with their belief in business as usual of money sharing.

They have collectively passed a vote of no confidence on her, saying they knew nothing about Edu’s recent visit to the President.

The letter addressed to the President made available to newsmen in Abuja was signed by Hon. Omorede Osifo, APC Deputy National Treasurer; Hon. Olubunmi Oriniowo, APC National Ex-Officio South-West; Hon. Oluwatoyin Opawoye, APC National Ex-Officio North-Central, Princess Zahra Mustapha Audu, APC Zonal Women leader North Central; Mrs Yetunde Shakirat Adesanya, APC Zonal Women leader South-West; Hon Mimi Uchenna Diyiokeh, APC Zonal Women leader South-East; Hon Zainab A. Alman, APC Zonal Women leader North East, Mrs Cynthia Princewill; APC Zonal Women leader South-South, and Hajia Hadiza Ahmad Shagari, APC Zonal Women leader North-West.

The female APC leaders first started by began extending their happiness over the victory of the president and his vice Alhaji Kashim Shattima, in the last presidential election.

However, the female APC leaders in the letter then dwelt on the issue at hand – the misrepresentation and self-aggrandizement of Dr Edu during her visit to the Presidential Villa on July 13th, 2023.

They emphasized their lack of awareness regarding her Presidential visit, stating that no prior information or notification was provided to them, the women she claimed to represent.

But sources with the knowledge of the matter said the disgruntled women are envious of all of these enviable traits and rising profile of Betta, who had been pencilled down for a new role in this current dispensation.

” Ever since the rumour started that she may make the ministerial list, her enemies have come up with fake and unverfiable news that Betta who was hitherto committed to her duty of organising the women for the success of the programmes of the ruling party has deviated by short changing women leaders of the APC across the 36 states of the federation, when they paid a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja.

“She was alleged to have short-changed the party’s women leaders through the funds made available for hotel accomodation and transportation by the presidency.

Betta in a telephone chat with an Abuja daily , NATIONAL WAVES, said the allegation emanated from the pit of hell. She added that it’s the figment of the peddlars’ imagination, she described it as untrue and fake news.

She stated that those peddling such rumours are those who felt should be part of the entourage to congratulate the President.

” Listen, this is fake news, All the women want to be part of the entourage that paid President Bola Tinubu a visit but I was directed to come with women leader of the 36 states of the federation. So they felt aggrieved for not making the list” she said.

“To say that the profile of Dr. Betta Edu, the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is on the rise is like stating the obvious. She really mobilized women’s votes for the president during the election as National Women’s Leader, as usual, her feat was bound to irk her rivals who lost out in the contest for National Women’s Leader. These are the set of people behind the campaign of Calumny against Edu”, a source in the National Women’s Leader’s office said

Edu, who is the youngest women’s leader of the party is believed to have done well during the campaign and mobilisation for the then APC presidential candidate, president Bola Tinubu.

During this time, she was said to have endeared herself to stakeholders and the leaders of APC on account of the way she executed her assignment in ensuring that women trooped out to vote for President Bola Tinubu at the last presidential election.

Described as stickler for hardwork, approachable and young. The woman at the center of the storm is said to be not the run-of-the-mill politician, as she reportedly abhors laziness and strictly adheres to details, even when she was Commissioner of Health in Cross Rivers State.

One of the women leaders against her confided in this reporter on condition of anonymity that though “Betta, exemplifies humility and brain the way she excluded some women leaders in arranging the visit to Tinubu is our angst. It’s not about competence, she has done well in mobilisation of women for APC victory, but everyone must be carried along during the visit.”

A top APC official told a national daily ( not Business Hallmark) that ” Edu is a victim of success, she did well for the party ,we are aware of the anger against her by some of her women colleagues , but their complaints do not bother on incompetence,but that she excluded some in the visit to the President. That’s not enough to vilify her or rubbish her good work.”