Post-Primary Audit Exposes Challenges for Women in Nigeria's 2027 Elections
A comprehensive post-primary audit of political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections has revealed that significant loopholes in the Electoral Act, exorbitant nomination fees, consensus arrangements, and money politics are severely limiting women's participation and their chances of emerging as candidates. Gender rights advocates and electoral experts disclosed these findings during a media briefing held via X Space on Wednesday, where they presented the results of an audit of internal party elections.
Cynthia Mbamalu, a gender and human rights advocate, pointed out that the Electoral Act 2026, which restricts party primaries to direct and consensus modes, fails to provide clear guidelines for direct primaries. She explained that Section 86 of the Act leaves the design of guidelines to political parties, creating wide discretion that undermines transparency. "Ordinarily, direct primaries should have been a saving grace for marginalized groups, especially women, but the way parties implemented them closed the space," she said.
Mbamalu, who also serves as the Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, noted that weak regulation allows parties to manipulate membership registers and screening processes, which she described as the first stage of exclusion. She added that screening processes are often hostile to women and aspirants not favored by party structures, forcing some to step down or contest manipulated outcomes. She also cited high nomination fees and the influence of governors, particularly in the All Progressives Congress (APC), as major obstacles to women's emergence, noting that even discounted fees do not guarantee inclusion. Mbamalu called for a review of disputed primaries and the reinstatement of women who were allegedly forced out despite winning legitimate processes.
Institutionalized Gatekeeping
Also speaking during the webinar, Toun Sonaiya, Executive Director of the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation, accused political parties of institutionalizing exclusion through consensus arrangements and opaque candidate selection processes. Representing a coalition of women-led organizations, including the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation, Women in Politics Forum, Gender Strategy Advancement International, and the Ene Obi Centre for Development, she said women who meet all party requirements are frequently pressured to step down or replaced through backdoor arrangements.
Sonaiya highlighted that women make up 49.5 percent of Nigeria's over 200 million population but hold less than 4 percent of National Assembly seats, 4.7 percent of state assembly seats, and no governorship positions. She added that women are absent in 14 state houses of assembly. Despite Nigeria's commitments under various international instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Beijing Platform for Action, the Maputo Protocol, the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), implementation remains weak.
Women's Representation Since 1999
Presenting historical data on women's political participation, Bukola Shonibare of Invictus Africa said female representation in elections has remained consistently low since 1999. Shonibare noted that the highest share of female presidential candidates was 8.2 percent in 2019, while 2023 recorded the lowest at 5.6 percent. For Senate races, the highest was 16.7 percent in 2015 and the lowest was 7.4 percent in 2007. Data for 1999 and 2003 were unavailable. Shonibare said only three parties currently have above 20 percent female aspirants: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at 28.2 percent, the Youth Progressive Party (YPP) at 22.7 percent, and the Youth Party (YP) at 20 percent. The lowest are the National Rescue Movement (11.8 percent), the APC (10.4 percent), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which recorded no female aspirants. She added that the APC had 2,008 aspirants (1,799 men and 209 women), while the PDP had 1,271 aspirants (913 men and 358 women).
Warning of Decline
Austin Aigbe, a gender equity advocate, warned that the figures would "definitely nosedive," cautioning that low female representation is becoming entrenched in Nigeria's political system. Aigbe said the problem can only be addressed through legislation, not training or advocacy alone. He also criticized what he described as tokenism by parties, citing fee discounts and waivers that are often reversed during consensus arrangements, leaving women excluded from final candidate lists.
Charter of Demands
The coalition called on political parties and state governors to publish gender-disaggregated data on women who purchased forms, were screened, stepped down, were excluded through consensus, or emerged as candidates. They also demanded an end to backdoor exclusions, adoption of binding inclusion policies, and nomination of female deputy governorship candidates alongside male candidates. The group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen oversight of party primaries and ensure compliance with constitutional principles of fairness. They also called on President Bola Tinubu to support the passage of a special seats bill for women in the National Assembly, noting that it is a democratic correction, not charity.
Women's Representation
Women's representation in Nigeria's public offices remains low. Of the 360 members in the House of Representatives, only 17 are women, while in the Senate, there are just four women out of 109 members. Efforts to increase women's participation in elective offices have continued over the years, but progress has remained limited. Ahead of successive election cycles, political parties, civil society groups, and lawmakers have proposed reforms aimed at improving women's representation. However, many of these initiatives have faced legislative hurdles or failed to secure the political support needed for implementation.
One of the latest efforts is the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, alongside 12 other lawmakers. The bill seeks to address Nigeria's persistent gender imbalance in elective offices by creating additional seats for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. If passed, it would represent one of the most significant legislative interventions to improve women's political representation in the country's democratic history. However, the proposal is yet to secure final approval, leaving uncertainty over whether it will be in place ahead of future elections.
