Remi Tinubu Flags Off South-East Women’s Mega Empowerment in Enugu, Says Nigeria Is Stepping into Prosperity…Distributes empowerment materials, promises ₦200,000 business grants to 750 persons…As S’East governors throw their weight behind Tinubu’s re-election…Benjamin Kalu: Ndigbo not part of anybody’s one-term presidency arrangement, we deserve more

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday flagged off the South-East Women Mega Empowerment programme and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Mobilisation Directorate’s campaign across the six geopolitical zones, declaring that the worst was over and that Nigeria was stepping into prosperity on the back of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The rally, held at Okpara Square, Enugu, featured the distribution of empowerment materials, including sewing machines, food processors, electricity generating sets and popcorn machines, to women from the five South-East states to support their economic activities and small-scale businesses.
The event attracted women leaders and APC members from Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra states.
Also in attendance were the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima; Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State; and the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim.
Addressing the women, the First Lady conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message and urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the economic challenges associated with his administration’s reforms, insisting that the country was on the path to prosperity.
She likened the reform process to childbirth, noting that although labour could be painful, it ultimately resulted in delivery.
“Mr. President said I should greet everyone. We have done reforms and we are now in prosperity. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you. The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity,” she said.
Senator Tinubu described the empowerment initiative as evidence of the APC government’s commitment to translating its promises into practical interventions, noting that the party was combining political mobilisation with economic support.
She thanked the people of the South-East for their reception and support, recalling that she had visited the region several times since her husband assumed office.
The First Lady also announced additional empowerment programmes for women and elderly persons in Enugu State.
She said that on December 3, APC senatorial candidates would receive funds to empower 250 women each with ₦200,000 grants to establish businesses.
She further announced an empowerment programme for 250 elderly persons scheduled for December 17, stating that beneficiaries must be at least 65 years old.
According to her, the two interventions would each cover 750 beneficiaries across Enugu State’s three senatorial districts.
Senator Tinubu urged the women to mobilise support for President Tinubu and APC candidates in the 2027 general elections, encouraging them to hold political aspirants accountable for their records on empowerment and development.
Mbah: Empowerment Beyond Political Mobilisation
In his remarks, Governor Mbah welcomed the First Lady and acknowledged the contributions of women to families, communities and national development.
He said the rally was designed to empower more than 5,000 women across the South-East, adding that her office had, within the preceding 48 hours, supported more than 2,000 women in Enugu State through cash assistance, payment of hospital bills and the provision of tools to help them establish and expand their businesses.
Mbah stressed that the initiative went beyond political mobilisation, explaining that its central objective was to transform women into wealth creators rather than leave them dependent on periodic handouts.
The governor also linked his administration’s development achievements to the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly the increased resources available to states through federation allocations.
He cited the construction of Smart Green Schools and primary healthcare centres across Enugu State as examples of projects being implemented with the increased revenue.
Urging the women to support Tinubu’s continuation in office, Mbah argued that the country should not abandon an ongoing journey because of temporary challenges.
“A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. So, we must finish the journey we all started together,” he said.
He also urged the South-East electorate to participate actively in the forthcoming elections, describing the Igbo as a people whose economic and social engagements extend beyond their geographical region.
“We are not a people that are ethnic by nature. We are a people that are strategic,” Mbah said, calling for support for President Tinubu and APC candidates.
Kalu Rejects One-Term Presidency Arrangement for South-East
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said the South-East would not accept a proposed four-year presidential tenure arrangement for a President of Igbo extraction.
He insisted that the region deserved an eight-year tenure when it eventually produced Nigeria’s president, urging the people of the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Kalu said President Tinubu had demonstrated a commitment to addressing the longstanding concerns of the South-East, particularly through the establishment of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC).
He noted that the post-civil war promise of the three Rs — Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation — had yet to be fully implemented until the establishment of the commission under the Tinubu administration.
The Deputy Speaker also cited the President’s appointments of people from the South-East to his cabinet and other federal initiatives as evidence of his administration’s engagement with the region.
Uzodimma, Nwifuru Back Tinubu’s Re-election
Governor Uzodimma also called on the people of the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, linking the increased allocations from the Federation Account to the greater resources available to state governments for development projects.
He urged the people of the region to support the President and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, Governor Nwifuru said the APC’s central political objective was to secure a second term for President Tinubu, urging party members and supporters to work towards achieving that goal.
“We have a project and that project is our party, the APC. Our project is how to deliver the President for a second term,” he said.
The rally featured the presentation of empowerment equipment to women from the five South-East states, alongside calls by party leaders for intensified political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Other dignitaries at the event included the wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Uloma Akpabio; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Also present were the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye; the party’s National Women Leader and Director-General of the Women Wing of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Mary Alile-Idele; the South-East Zonal Woman Leader of the APC, Dr. Oby Ajih; members of the National and State Assemblies; local government chairmen; and other party stakeholders.