Tinubu or Tinubu” – Akwete Weavers Declare After N2bn Fund Revives Trade
By Felix Oti, Back From Akwete
Women weavers in Akwete, Abia State, who benefited from the ₦2 billion Akwete funds, have declared their total support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, insisting that the choice before Nigerians is clear and simple: “It’s either re-electing Tinubu or voting for President Tinubu.”
The pledge was made in response to the recent call by Princess Gloria Akobundu, a key member of APC Presidential Campaign Council Women Wing and Secretary, APC PCC Faith-Based Mobilisation (Christian), urging South-East women to stand firmly behind the President. It followed the official announcement of the date for the 2027 Presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, with the Akwete beneficiaries positioning themselves as early and active mobilisers for the Tinubu campaign in Abia State.
Speaking on behalf of the group, several women weavers who received support under the ₦2 billion intervention programme expressed profound gratitude for the funds, which they said had revived their traditional craft, expanded their businesses, and improved the living standards of many families in the Akwete community.
Mrs. Ngozi Okoro, a long-standing Akwete weaver and beneficiary, said: “President Tinubu’s administration remembered us with the ₦2 billion Akwete funds. Our looms are busy again, our children are better fed, and our trade has grown. We will not forget this. Abia women are solidly behind him. In 2027, it is either Tinubu or Tinubu.”
Chief (Mrs.) Chioma Eze, another prominent weaver, added:
“Princess Akobundu called on South-East women, and we in Akwete have answered. The funds changed our stories. We assure her and the entire nation that Abia women stand with President Tinubu. We will mobilise from house to house and market to market.”
Mrs. Adaeze Nwosu, who leads a cooperative of young weavers, stated: “Before the Akwete funds, many of us were struggling. Today, we produce more cloth, train more girls, and earn better. This is why we support the President without apology. Continuity is important. It is either Tinubu or Tinubu.”
Mrs. Ifeoma Okafor, a beneficiary and community mobiliser, reinforced the message:
“We have seen the impact with our own eyes. The ₦2 billion intervention brought hope back to Akwete. We thank Princess Akobundu for her call, and we assure her that Abia women are fully behind President Tinubu. Our votes and our voices are for him in 2027.”
The women collectively pledged to work closely with Princess Akobundu and other stakeholders to deepen grassroots support across Abia and the wider South-East. They described their endorsement as both an expression of gratitude for the Akwete funds and a commitment to sustained development under the current administration.
With the campaign flag-off date now public, the Akwete women weavers have signalled their readiness to play a visible role in the emerging political activities, framing their support as a defence of policies that have directly touched their lives and livelihoods.
