By Justina Auta
A coalition of women-led organisations have called on political parties across Nigeria to adopt gender-inclusive party primaries and create deliberate pathways for women’s political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The coalition, comprising WOMANIFESTO, Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), 100 Women Lobby Group, Women Collective Hub and The Electoral Hub, made the call on Monday in Abuja.
The group expressed concern over what it described as the growing exclusion of women from internal party processes through zoning arrangements, consensus candidacies, financial barriers and structural disadvantages.
According to the coalition, many qualified women interested in contesting elective positions have allegedly been screened out, discouraged from purchasing nomination forms or pressured to step down in favour of male candidates before party primaries were concluded.
They warned that the development could undermine the modest gains recorded in women’s political representation and further reduce the already low number of women occupying elective positions, including seats in the National Assembly.
The coalition noted that although women constituted a significant percentage of Nigeria’s voting population, they remained largely absent from leadership and decision-making positions.
They added that despite years of advocacy for increased women’s participation in politics, female aspirants continued to face systemic barriers within party structures that limited their ability to compete fairly.
The group also expressed concern over the concentration of women aspirants within a few dominant political parties without guarantees of equitable ticket allocation or inclusion.
They described political parties as the “gatekeepers of Nigeria’s democracy,” stressing that fairness, inclusion and equal opportunity should begin with party leadership.
The coalition urged political parties to ensure transparent, inclusive and violence-free primaries, while creating deliberate pathways for increased women’s representation on party ballots.
The group also called for the introduction of gender quotas within party constitutions and leadership structures at ward, local government, state and national levels.
The coalition further appealed to parties to empower National Women Leaders with greater authority in decision-making processes and reduce excessive nomination fees and other financial barriers affecting female aspirants.
They urged political parties to publicly commit to affirmative measures supporting women candidates ahead of the 2027 elections and prevent the use of consensus arrangements and zoning processes to exclude women from contests.
The coalition also called for equal treatment and fair opportunities for female aspirants during screenings, consultations and delegate engagements.
According to the group, women’s inclusion in governance is critical to strengthening democracy, improving representation and advancing national development.
They further called for stronger collaboration among political parties, women’s rights groups, female politicians, civil society organisations, media institutions and community stakeholders to improve voter education, mobilisation and support for women candidates.
“Women candidates must not only emerge; they must also be seen, heard, supported and given equitable opportunities to engage electorates, citizens and communities,” the coalition stated.
The coalition said political parties had a historic opportunity to demonstrate commitment to inclusive governance and democratic fairness as Nigeria prepares for another democratic transition.
They urged party leaders to act decisively to ensure women were not excluded from the democratic process before elections begin. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi
