In this report, ENE OSHABA examines data on aspirants in the 2023 general elections against the population of women in the country and asks: will the exclusion of women encourage them to push forward?
The February 2023 general elections are fast approaching with momentum building up with campaigns going into full swing, especially for the three major contenders to the presidency: the All Progressives Party (APC); the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); and the Labour Party (LP).
This is as women continue to lament discrimination and exclusion by the political parties.
Data on female candidates’ representation nationwide as shared by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) showed that only 10.1 per cent of the total candidates in the 2023 general elections are female.
According to the data, of the 15,307 candidates in the elections, only 1,552 are women and 10 per cent of the candidates are women.
It furthered showed that there is only 1/18 female candidates for the presidential position which is (6%); there is no woman as a running mate in all the parties as shown 0/18 (0%) female candidates for the vice presidential position.
The data also showed that for the governorship position there are only 25/419 (6%) female candidates, 102/419 (24%) female candidates for Deputy Governor position, 92/1101 (8%) for Senate, 286/3107 (9%) female candidates for House of Representatives and 1046/10225 (10%) female candidates for the Houses of Assembly.
It further showed that the South-west nominated more women than the South-east, which had the highest numbers in 2019. Lagos state toped with the highest number of female candidates; both APC (102) and PDP (72) have a total of 174 female candidates.
Speaking on the development, the Chairperson, Committee on Women in Parliament, Hon. Taiwo Olukemi Oluga, while briefing journalists in Abuja, however, countered the figure.
According to her, women represent only 8 per cent of the total candidates for the upcoming election, expressing disappointment that the number of women in governance was declining.
Oluga also lamented that despite the advocacy and attempt by women groups and parliamentarians to have increased women participation in politics in Nigeria, not much progress seems to have been made.
“The average number of women who emerged as nominated after the presidential and National Assembly primaries of various political parties is less than 8 per cent, (381 women were nominated across all the political parties out of 4,259 nominated aspirants in the 2023 Elections), depicting that the number of women participation in politics or contesting elective offices is on a steady decline since 2015.
“For 2023 Senate elections, out of the 1,101 candidates contesting for 109 seats, only 92 are women, whilst 1,009 are men; and the women represent only about 8 per cent of Senate contestants.
“Amongst the nominated candidates across all political parties for the House of Representatives elections next year, 288 women are contesting out of the 3,122 aspirants.
“Going by the number of women, who are currently nominated by various political parties and are vying for elective offices in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, there are serious issues of concern as it seems that the figure in the current Assembly might worsen if drastic steps are not taken immediately.
“Before the last primary elections, Nigeria ranked amongst the lowest number of women participation in governance in Africa, with about 6.2 per cent of national parliamentarians being women,” she stated.
Factors militating women
Continuing Oluga stated that the same factors hindering women’s participation have remained over the years, stressing that patriarchy which still holds the view that men were born to rule whilst women were called to household jobs and were non-partisan, was still in practice.
“This obsolete view affirms the erroneous idea that women are not entitled to talk, not alone vie for political office,” noted.
The committee chairperson added that a situation where stigmatisation of Nigerian politicians as people who have little regard for human rights and the interest of the people persist has compounded the situation.
She decried the fact that, “They are stigmatised as persons who are quick to compromise for indecent gains. Thus, when women venture into politics, some schools of thought term them as women of easy virtue.
“Meeting schedules, political and caucus meetings are usually held at night and due to the social and family commitment of women they are unable to attend hence missing out on deliberations and strategic decision making.
“Also financing and lack of economic empowerment is a challenge. Globally, politics and elections require financial costs. Many times, women do not have the financial capacity to fund campaigns and find it more difficult than their male counterparts to get sponsors.
“Cultural and religious barriers which is a conservative practice of Christianity and Islam, also tend to accord women little role in public life.”
Similarly, Chairman, House Committee on Disabilities, Hon. Princess Mariam Odinaka Onuoha, representing Okigwe federal Constituency in Imo state, said the low level of education is also another factor, “the Level of women literacy needs to be increased, especially in rural areas, to ensure they are qualified to hold public office.
“Illiteracy has become a top agenda and that is why I have launched adult literacy programme in my constituency because majority of people who voted me to power are women and time has come when and it is important we make women more educated.”
In the same vein, violence that characterise elections in Nigerian remains a disincentive to women political participation.
Speaking on the situation, the Country Vice President/National President, FIDA Nigeria, Amina Agbaje, said the declining number of women representation in governance is disappointing and not acceptable, stressing that violence during elections is one factor hindering women from active participation.
“We must speak to violence against women in elections particularly as 2023 approaches and also address the issues militating against women so we can face the issues with the appropriate authorities like the security agency as a guide for them to redirect the shift to the appropriate places.
“If you shed blood perhaps you could shoot ur mother so we should realize the election will come and go and we won’t be the problems, we must reorientate ourselves on doing the right things always.”
Similarly, the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Otunba Adewunmi Oriyomi Ononuga, representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency in Ogun state, said that political violence, insecurity was a major setback for Women’s participation in politics.
Women’s party to the rescue?
In a bid to find lasting solution to the continued discrimination against women in politics an all women political party have been suggested as what may be needed to change the narrative.
In her submission, Hon. Onuoha stated that it is better for women to be candidates of political parties with known political structure, instead of creating a separate all women party.
“The society and even electoral ac0t has given us some support just like the waivers for women in buying party forms, we should work with the men instead of having our own party,” she said.
“We are party people and if at all we would start an all women political party we will let our He for She lead us on that and we follow,” Oluga added.
On her part, Hon. Ononuga noted that the 1999 constitution does not allow for discrimination, stressing it is not right to form a political party solely for women.
“God did not create man to be by himself so I personally will not even support independent candidature because how many will INEC handle and what kind of ballot paper would we have?
“We should be able to live together and understand that we ought to do things according to capacity and which also speak to the fact that women should start from the grassroots and let citizens know how they can perform so they can vote for them during elections.”
Way forward
Onuoha urged women to keep being resilient, grow through the process of politics by submitting themselves for mentoring if they must make any headway.
“I have contested four times and only won the fourth attempt so if you must do politics as a woman do it well, be patient in following the process , be mentored and serve others so you too will be served this will help you learn the rudiments.
“I rather advocate for Gender alternate seats for women where if a man is the chairman, a woman should be vice, If a man is president a woman should be vice president etc. So, if we advocate for this we will get more seats without breaking the law because we want to go through what everyone goes through to win,” she said.
“Women should come out and vote for women whose faces and names are on the ballot box. This election is going to be tough and interesting because women are saying you can no longer use and dump us we constitute over 50 per cent of the nation’s population.
“The question is, of the less than 8 per cent women nominated for elective offices in 2023, how many women would emerge victorious at the general elections? The point is that even if all these women win their elections, the figure remains very low and a cause for serious concern and action,” Oluga lamented.
“Another question is, is there a taboo barring Women from vying for the highest decision making position in Nigeria that is the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? This is because, out of all the 18 political parties in Nigeria the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) fielded a female presidential candidate,” she added.
According to her, Kano, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states do not have a single female candidate nominated for the presidential and National Assembly elections next year.
“The Implication of this is that, even before next year’s elections in Nigeria, it is crystal clear that 13.5 per cent of states will not have women in elective offices in their House of Assembly.
“The above development is a huge setback in attaining 35 per cent affirmative action in elective and appointive offices in Nigeria. The House Committee on Women in Parliament and other women groups shall not relent in efforts to improve women participation in governance and the advocates of increased women participation believe that with sustained advocacy and economic empowerment of women, Nigeria could achieve the 35per cent affirmative action in the subsequent elections despite the seeming exclusion of women today.
