2023: Market women rally support for Tinubu, demand re-establishment of People’s Bank


A pro-Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu support group of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Women Cooperative Society (AWCS) has called on the candidate of the party to re-establish the People’s Bank to cater for the need of indigent women.

The group also called for the opening Food Bank in all the 774 local government areas of the country to address the increasing cost of food items and provide succour for the masses, especially women in need.

The National President of AWCS, Chief Oluwatoyin Badmus made the request Tuesday in Abuja, at a party organised by her group to celebrate the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the APC presidential candidate.

Chief Badmus who is also the Iyaloja of Abuja, said the need to bring back the defunct Peoples Bank formerly introduced by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida was to help provide a source of funding for the small-scale businesses being run by most women.

The AWCS leader lamented that most women go through harrowing conditions before they can secure loans and when they can get they are subjected to further challenges by the finance houses.

“We have seen many women that secured a loan of N100,000 from a finance house and within 6 months the money would have doubled the loan to N200,000 to N250,000. Most of these women cannot pay the money and in some cases, the finance house will want to even arrest and take away their children.

“That is why we are appealing to our incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring back the Peoples Bank and make it truly the Peoples Bank so that our women can have access to credit facilities.

“Some of our women don’t need too much to change their lives. They are not looking for a handout. They just want to be given a chance to excel in what they do.”

Earlier the National Matron of AWCS, Yeye Kemi Nelson urged women who are yet to get registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go get their Personal Voter Card (PVC) ahead of next year’s election.

Nelson spoke through Barr. Omolara Alakija said to ensure Asiwaju’s victory at the polls, women must come out to vote, arguing that electoral victory was never recorded through the social media or by shouting but by voting, hence the need for them to get their PVC.

“I have reliably gathered that INEC will extend the ongoing registration exercise, I want to urge our women to go and get their PVC, that is the only tool we need to help get Asiwaju in office come next year.

” The task ahead is enormous. We have won the party’s ticket, we must work hard to win the election and this us not by dancing or partying but with our PVC. So let us mobilise and educate our women and youth to go get their PVC for us to actualize the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President.”