By Aisha Sambo
Political participation is the civil right of every citizen in a country, with the recently conducted general election in Nigeria, this article seeks to highlight the progress and challenges of Nigerian Women in politics.
Out of the 988 state assembly seats across the 36 states of the federation, only 48 female lawmakers representing 4.85%, were elected into office. Astonishing when women constitute about 47.5% of 93 million registered voters in the just concluded 2023 election (source: INEC). A breakdown of the results showed that some women secured seats in 21 states – Anambra, Kaduna, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Oyo, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Enugu and Ebonyi. However, not lucky in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Abia, Osun, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara state. The
Irati Kingibe
Aisha Dahiru Binani
Aisha Augie Kuta
south-west produced the highest number of female lawmakers with a total of 16 elected women from five of the six states in the region. Ekiti State topped with six female lawmakers. Lagos and Ondo have three each, while Ogun and Oyo have two each. Osun is the only state in the region without a female lawmaker. What these numbers tell us compared to previous years isn’t much, it is possible that political participation in Nigeria may have fluctuated over the years due to changes in many factors, such as social, economic, and political conditions, as well as cultural norms and traditions.
That being said, it is important to note that political participation amongst women in Nigeria has historically been lower than that of men. While there have been some gains in recent years and even in this recently concluded election, there are still significant barriers that prevent women from fully participating in politics, such as gender-based discrimination, cultural biases, lack of access to education and resources. In a 2019 report by The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), it was revealed that the Nigerian Senate had the lowest rate of female legislative participation in sub-Sahara Africa. Out of the 469 seats available at both the red and green chambers of the National assembly, women only won a total of 17 seats, according to the list published by INEC on successful candidates that won the February 25 National Assembly election. Gender experts have blamed the declining number of female representation in governance to a myriad of reasons, ranging from the absence of a piece of legislation, cultural factors, violence, and monetised nature of politics in Nigeria, among others. Nevertheless, it is important to note that women are awake and slowly taking up spaces they were previously marginalised from participating in.
Dayo Benjamin Lanniyi
Mrs Tombra Jennifer Mohammed
Munira Suleiman Tanimu
It is interesting to see a woman, Irati Kingibe, unseat a serving powerful senator, Tanimu Aduda, who previously served two terms in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, and was later elected to the Senate for the Federal Capital Territory senatorial seat which he also served for another two terms. Indeed, the election of Mrs. Kingibe was one of the most notable success stories of this year’s elections.
The new senator in her acceptance speech shortly after receiving her certificate of return from the INEC Chairman, said she would try to make a difference in politics by actively pushing for more female councillors and chair-persons in the Labour party, a party that helped her realise her dream.
Another successful takeaway from the recent elections is Sen. Aisha Dahiru Ahmed Binani of Adamawa State. Even though the governorship election in Adamawa State has been pronounced as inconclusive by the electoral umpire, the incumbent governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has received a bloody nose from Sen. Binani who is his closest rival in the race for Government House Yola.
Aisha Binani started her political journey in 2011 when she was elected as a House of Representatives member to represent Yola North/Yola South/Girei federal constituency as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
She later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), where she won an election to emerge as the senator representing Adamawa Central Senatorial zone in the 2019 general election.
As a senate member, Binani served as the chairperson Senate committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She is the founder of Binani Nigeria Limited, the Binani Group of Companies.
Binani is not just a successful businesswoman, but also a committed philanthropist and politician. She is the founder of the Binani Foundation, which focuses on education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation in Nigeria. The foundation has built schools and hospitals in several states across the country, providing access to quality education and healthcare for underprivileged communities.
Sen. Aisha Dahiru Ahmed Binani won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Adamawa State by defeating six male contestants and political heavyweights. As all the Nigerian women await the pronouncement of Sen. Binani as the first female elected Governor in Nigeria, we call on INEC to allow the will of people of Adamawa State to prevail.
Though Sen. Binani wouldn’t have been the first female governor. Nigeria has had a female governor once, but she was not elected. In November 2006, Virginia Etiaba became governor of Anambra when the incumbent Peter Obi was impeached. She relinquished the seat in February 2007 when a court order nullified his removal. Binani’s ascension to the big stage comes as female representation in Nigerian politics is declining. The number of women in federal parliament has consistently dropped since 2011. In the March 2023 vote, the figure dropped further from 21 of the confirmed 423 seats, to 15. Binani’s story is an inspiration to many, especially women who aspire to break into traditionally male-dominated industries.
Another notable female politician to watch is Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari. Aisha Buhari has been vocal in advocating for women’s rights in Nigeria and has been a strong supporter of women’s participation in politics.
Some of the female politicians to watch is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Finance Minister of Nigeria and the current Director-General of the World Trade Organization. While she did not run for office in the 2023 election, her leadership in the international arena has inspired many Nigerian women to pursue political careers.
New players such as Mrs. Tombra Mohammed (nee Waritimi) campaigned on the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District, she explained why she would defeat the incumbent, Senator Seriake Dickson at the polls. Although she lost, she was inspiring many young people, especially women in her constituency. In addition to these notable figures, there are many other female politicians who are making their mark in Nigerian politics. Women like Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, the Lagos State House of Assembly member who recently came under fire for her controversial comments about Nigerian youths, or Uche Ekwunife, a Senator from Anambra State who has been a strong advocate for women’s rights. Some of my other notable aunties Dayo-Benjamin Lanniyi, Aisha Augie-Kuta, Hon. Munira Suleiman Tanimu and Marilyn Okowa amongst others deserve not just a seat at the table of their own.
To say the least, it has been encouraging to see more women stepping forward to take on leadership roles in Nigeria. With their voices and perspectives represented in political decision-making, Nigeria will be better equipped to address the needs of all its citizens, regardless of gender.
Nigeria, like many other countries, has seen an increase in female participation in politics in recent years. This trend is expected to continue in the upcoming elections in the future as more Nigerian women are stepping forward to take up leadership roles in the political arena. While Nigerian women have always played important roles in society, their representation in political leadership has been limited. However, this is slowly changing, with more women running for office, winning elections, and taking on leadership roles in their communities. It is crucial for Nigeria to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable political environment that promotes the participation of all citizens, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. This can be achieved through targeted policies and programs that address the specific needs and challenges faced by underrepresented groups, as well as by promoting a culture of diversity, tolerance, and respect for human rights. Despite the progress made in recent years, there are still many challenges facing Nigerian female politicians. Women continue to face cultural barriers, discrimination, and harassment in the political arena. However, their determination and resilience show that they are ready to overcome these obstacles and make their mark in Nigerian politics.