2027: INEC Tasks Parties on Women’s Political Representation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has challenged political parties to take concrete steps to improve women’s representation in elective positions ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

The commission said women constitute almost half of Nigeria’s electorate but remain poorly represented among candidates and elected political leaders.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, represented by National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, made the call at a strategic engagement with political parties, female candidates, civil society organisations, development partners and the media in Abuja.

Gumus said the issue of women’s political participation went beyond a single electoral cycle, describing it as central to the “character, inclusiveness and long-term sustainability” of Nigeria’s democracy.

She said women accounted for 44,414,846 of the 93,469,008 registered voters in the 2023 General Election, representing 47.52 per cent.

Gumus added that women continued to dominate new voter registration ahead of the 2027 elections.

She disclosed that 2,037,589 women registered during the third phase of the exercise as of July 26, 2026. They accounted for 52.68 per cent of the 3,867,997 new registrants recorded during the period.

“Women therefore accounted for the majority of new registrants in the final phase of the exercise,” she said.

However, she noted that their strength at the polling units had not translated into comparable representation in elective offices.

According to her, only 1,556 of the 15,331 candidates who contested major elective positions in 2023 were women, representing 10.15 per cent.

Only three women won seats in the Senate, while 16 secured seats in the House of Representatives. They represented 2.8 per cent and 4.4 per cent of the respective chambers.

“A substantial gap appears to exist between women’s participation as voters and their participation as political leaders,” Gumus said.

She urged political parties to provide practical support for female candidates by improving access to party leadership and structures, campaign platforms, media visibility and fundraising networks.

She also listed mentoring, political communication, logistics, security and grassroots mobilisation as areas where parties could provide greater support.

Gumus said parties should also examine whether women had genuine opportunities to rise through their internal structures.

“The participation of women is not a favour to women. It is a democratic imperative,” she said.

The national commissioner urged parties to move “from commitment to action, from aspiration to implementation.”

In a welcome address, INEC Secretary, Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, said improving women’s political participation required collective action from all stakeholders.

The address, read by the Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, described political parties as the principal vehicles through which citizens organise, seek elective office and participate in governance.

Oriaran-Anthony said the policies, structures and internal practices of parties directly affect the opportunities available to women seeking political office.

She urged participants to use the engagement to move beyond acknowledging the challenges and develop practical commitments.

Presenting the objectives of the meeting, Deputy Director, Gender Relations, Mrs Hembadoon Akaayar, said the commission wanted parties to make specific commitments to support female candidates.

The objectives included improving access to campaign resources, increasing the visibility of female candidates and strengthening protection against violence, intimidation, harassment and discrimination.

INEC also sought sustained political support for women beyond the 2027 elections, alongside stronger collaboration, monitoring and accountability among stakeholders.

“Our expectation is that this engagement will produce practical and measurable commitments from participating political parties rather than general expressions of goodwill,” Akaayar said.

Delivering the keynote address, former INEC Director of Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Civil Societies Liaison, Oluwole Osaze-Uzi, said Nigeria remained behind many African countries in women’s representation in government.

He said women account for about half of Nigeria’s population and electorate but occupy only about five per cent of seats in the National Assembly.

Osaze-Uzi also noted that no woman had been elected president or governor in Nigeria.

He cited Rwanda, where women now occupy nearly 64 per cent of parliamentary seats, as an example of how deliberate measures can improve representation.

He also pointed to gender quota systems in countries including Senegal, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Cape Verde.

Osaze-Uzi identified legal, cultural, financial and security barriers, alongside weak political will, as major obstacles to women’s participation.

He recommended stronger legal frameworks, party enforcement mechanisms, dedicated campaign funding, mentorship programmes and zero tolerance for intimidation and sexual harassment of female candidates.

INEC said women, who constitute almost half of the electorate and accounted for the majority of new registrants in the latest phase, should receive a fair opportunity to participate in political leadership.