Ahead of Nigeria's crucial 2027 elections, prominent women political leaders have sounded an alarm, warning that the delegate selection process within political parties is systematically undermining women's chances of securing leadership positions.
The Core Problem: Male Domination in Party Delegates
The concerns emerged prominently during the opening of the North East Women in Political Parties Summit in Gombe State. Organized by LEADTOTS Development Initiative with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the summit brought together key stakeholders to address the pressing issue.
Hauwa Gana Ibrahim, the Women's Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yobe State, expressed deep concern about the severe under-representation of women as delegates within political parties. She stated that this imbalance directly leads to men being favored during critical primary elections.
According to Ibrahim, a new law requiring party executives to contest for delegate positions rather than automatically holding them has disproportionately affected women. This legislative change has created additional barriers for women, primarily due to the financial constraints they face when competing for these positions.
"Number one problem women have is all the political parties have to go for primaries and women have a minimum of delegates," Ibrahim explained. "This new law that the last assembly has brought has given more challenge to the women because even those who are in the executive in the parties are no longer delegates."
INEC Official Calls for Strategic Alliances
Rifkatu Maxwell, Head of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Voter Education and Publicity in Gombe State, corroborated these concerns. She highlighted that the delegate selection process inherently favors men, resulting in predominantly male delegates participating in primary elections.
"The delegate selection process in political parties favours men, and most of the delegates participating in primary elections are men, which makes them often choose men over women," Maxwell stated.
She issued a powerful call to action, urging women to rally behind female candidates in the 2027 elections regardless of party affiliations. Maxwell advised women to form strategic alliances and coalitions to secure better representation in governance, citing the successful opposition merger that led to victory in the 2023 presidential election as a model.
"Women should put aside party differences and support female candidates contesting against men to increase their chances of winning," she emphasized. "In the INEC voters register, there are more women and youth than men, and hence, women can change their dominance in terms of leadership."
Proposed Solutions and Legislative Reforms
The INEC official revealed that there is currently a bill before the National Assembly seeking to reserve one senate seat for women in each state. She also advocated for reserving at least three seats for women in state assemblies.
Maxwell made another significant recommendation: political parties should provide free nomination forms for women to encourage greater participation in elections. She noted that INEC already provides free forms, setting a precedent for parties to follow.
Halima Mahdi, a women's activist in Gombe State, echoed these sentiments, noting that the lack of women delegates prevents them from securing party tickets. She advised the summit to focus on mobilizing women across the North East to change this dynamic by 2027.
Earlier, Nicholas Oshojah Afeso, Executive Director of LEADTOTS Development Initiative, emphasized that women's leadership is essential for the region's progress. He confirmed that the summit included representatives from INEC, members of IPAC, women political leaders from different parties, and women peer support networks across the North East.
According to Afeso, the two-day event aimed to empower women to take on leadership roles and challenge patriarchal norms. Participants explored key topics including breaking patriarchy, designing issue-based campaigns, and financing women's political ambitions.
Afeso encouraged women to engage boldly and commit to the summit's goals, making it a launchpad for a new movement that challenges old structures and builds new alliances for the 2027 elections and beyond.
