By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called for greater women’s participation and representation in Nigeria’s political leadership ahead of 2027 elections.

Their representatives made the call at the NRM National Women Summit in Abuja on Thursday.

NRM National Chairman, Chinedu Obi, said women and youths remained critical to electoral success, stressing that no political party could win elections without their participation.

“If there are no women, there won’t be any elections,” he said, urging women to strengthen the party’s structures nationwide and mobilise support ahead of 2027.

Obi attributed Nigeria’s demand for leadership change to poverty, insecurity and economic hardship, urging women and youths to deploy their voting strength.

He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to women’s political participation, citing the allocation of strategic positions, including national organising secretary, to women.

He also cited the party’s decision to present a female presidential candidate after considering three qualified aspirants as evidence of its commitment to gender inclusion.

In his address, PDP National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, urged political parties to dismantle structural barriers preventing women from accessing meaningful leadership positions.

Mohammed, represented by Dr Helen Adebakin, a PDP women leader, said women remained central to political mobilisation and community development but were often excluded from critical decision-making.

“This contradiction must end. Women’s empowerment is not simply a political slogan; it is a democratic imperative, a social responsibility, and a development necessity,” he said.

He called for a shift from symbolic recognition of women to genuine empowerment, stressing the need for institutional policies supporting their political advancement.

“We must move beyond applauding women to empowering them; beyond recognising their sacrifices to rewarding their contributions,” he said.

Mohammed said political inclusion required institutional commitments, financial support and mentorship to enable women to advance through merit and competence.

He urged political institutions to judge women’s ambitions by the quality of their ideas and capacity to deliver, rather than gender.

The PDP chairman also encouraged Nigerian women to demand greater representation and institutional support across political parties.

He urged stakeholders to translate the summit’s deliberations into concrete partnerships, enabling young girls to aspire to the country’s highest political offices.

Mohammed commended the NRM for inviting the PDP, describing the gesture as an example of constructive democratic engagement across party lines.

“Politics should not be a battlefield of hatred. It should be a marketplace of ideas, a competition of visions,” he said.

He added that political differences should not undermine national unity, stressing that Nigerians remained united by their shared national identity. (NAN)

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OBE/KTO

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Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo