The First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has appealed to presidential aspirants to adopt women as their running mates in the upcoming 2023 Presidential election.

She made the appeal at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Saturday when she hosted presidential aspirants across party lines to Iftar dinner.

Some of the aspirants that were there include; national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i of Kaduna, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi are among the presidential aspirants attending the event.

Also, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; one-time National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Barnabas Gemade; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former governor of Edo State, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor; and oil and gas mogul, Tein Jack-Rich are also in attendance.

 The First Lady also urged political parties to reserve a considerable percentage of contestable office for women saying that considering the voting strength of women, it would be advantageous they are adopted as running mates in the forthcoming elections.

“In fact, it is high time women were adopted as running mates at all levels, considering their voting strength and active involvement in political processes.

“As we approach the 2023 elections with greater hope, I am confident that Nigeria will continue to grow from strength to strength on the pedestal of our democratic tenets,” she said.

She also encouraged the aspirants to ensure that the forthcoming elections are fair and free.

According to her, the 2015 presidential election, which her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari, won “was neither contested in the court of law, nor in the court of public opinion.

“Therefore, the greatest end-of-tenure gift that fellow Nigerians can give to the first family is another free and globally-acknowledged fair election come 2023″, she said.