A coalition of women-led organisations and civil society groups has raised concerns over what it describes as a worsening decline in women’s political representation in Nigeria following the conclusion of the 2026 party primaries across 22 political parties.
The concerns were expressed during a national press conference and roundtable dialogue convened to examine exclusionary practices within political parties and advocate urgent policy, institutional, and legislative reforms ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Presenting the findings of an audit conducted on the recently concluded primaries, the Executive Director of Invictus Africa, Bukky Shonibare, revealed that female participation in the political process remains critically low across most parties.
According to the audit, only three political parties recorded female aspirant participation above 20 per cent. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led with 28.2 per cent, followed by the Young Progressives Party (YPP) with 22.2 per cent and the Young Progressives Party (YP) with 20 per cent. At the other end of the spectrum, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) recorded 11.8 per cent female participation, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) had 10.4 per cent. The NNPPP reportedly recorded no female aspirants at all.
Shonibare further disclosed that only three women emerged as senatorial candidates from the primaries nationwide. She warned that if the current trend continues, “women may occupy as little as 2.7 per cent of seats in the Senate after the 2027 elections”, a development she described as deeply troubling for a country seeking inclusive democratic governance.
The Co-founder and Executive Director of the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation (VOWEF), Toun Okewale Sonaiya, described the primary election process as one characterised by institutionalised gatekeeping.
“If unchecked, 2027 will deliver worse representation for women than 2023 Okewale,” Sonaiya warned
She called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support the passage of the proposed Special Seats Bill adding that “for every male gubernatorial candidate, all political parties nominate female deputy governorship candidates to increase women’s representation in 2027”.
Adding his voice, Austin Aigbe described the Special Seats Bill as one of the most practical pathways for addressing the longstanding gender imbalance in elected offices. He stressed that meaningful progress would require legal reforms rather than relying solely on advocacy and capacity-building initiatives.
Also speaking at the event, Cynthia Mbamalu of Yiaga Africa called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish comprehensive gender-disaggregated reports on party primaries to improve transparency and expose patterns of exclusion.
For Adaora Sydney Jack of Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), the poor representation of women in politics is evidence of deeper structural and institutional challenges. She argued that the problem cannot be attributed to a lack of competent women, noting that several countries with fewer resources have achieved significantly better outcomes in gender inclusion.
The National President of the Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), Ebere Ifendu, urged political parties to uphold their constitutions and take decisive action against violence, intimidation, and discriminatory practices directed at female aspirants.
Similarly, Ene Obi of the EneObi Centre for Development called for stronger investment in women’s political agency and the implementation of existing affirmative action commitments and judicial pronouncements designed to promote inclusion.
Abosede George Ogan of the Women in Leadership Advancement Network (WILAN) challenged stakeholders to strengthen women’s political, economic, institutional and narrative power through leadership development, sustainable funding, technology, and grassroots mobilisation.
The coalition also called on political parties and state governors to publish comprehensive gender-disaggregated data on aspirants and candidates and stop the back door exclusion of candidates.
They also demanded that, “every male gubernatorial candidate must present a female running mate; end “consensus” as a tool to sideline women and make inclusion policies binding.”
Addressing President Tinubu directly, the coalition appealed for his support in facilitating the passage of the Special Seats Bill, describing it as a temporary but necessary intervention to correct historical imbalances in political representation.
The groups maintained that women’s inclusion in governance is not an act of charity but a democratic imperative essential for sustainable national development. They pledged to continue monitoring the 2027 electoral process, documenting cases of exclusion, publishing their findings, and holding political actors accountable for actions that undermine women’s participation in politics.
The statement was jointly endorsed by the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation (VOWEF), Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), EneObi Centre for Development (ECD), and Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI).
