Yola— Hajia Zainab Kwonchi, the gubernatorial candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, said she accepted to contest the coming 2012 governorship election based on support for her candidature by men.

Kwonchi, who is the first woman to contest for governorship in Adamawa State, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Yola that the clamour, particularly by men, was a clear pointer that the people wanted a woman for change in 2012.

She said: “Men encouraged me to come out and contest and I feel this is a challenge and an opening for the women to make history in Adamawa State.”

She urged the people not to sell their votes but to vote for a candidate that knew their problems and was ready to offer selfless service.

“Let me make it clear to the people of Adamawa that I have no money like the others to share, but I have the genuine intention to transform the state.’’

Kwonchi, who is a medical doctor and the immediate past Commissioner of Health to Gov Murtala Nyako, said the Nyako administration had not done enough and that was why she was not disturbed of meeting him at the polls next year.

She said she would improve on the present free healthcare to pregnant women and children, which, she supervised as health commissioner under Nyako, as well as actualise the Adamawa Health Insurance Scheme, which, she said, was only receiving lip service under Nyako.

“I will employ more doctors, particularly consultants to tackle the present shortage of doctors in the state as well as modernise our hospital with equipment,’’ Kwonchi aid.

The ADC candidate also said that she has special programmes for women of Adamawa when elected particularly in areas of education and empowerment.

“We will build special schools for women who do not have early education. Attention will also be paid to girls’ education because they are the building blocks of the society; we want to have educated mothers for our children.

“Women rights will be protected as enshrined in our constitution and they will be adequately represented in government,’’ she added.

She listed her eight point agenda as health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, environment, security, women and youth empowerment.