Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
A coalition of women-led organisations has called on Nigeria’s political parties to take immediate steps to ensure the meaningful inclusion of women in candidate selection processes ahead of the 2027 general election.
The appeal was made in an open letter dated May 15, 2026 and addressed to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and other registered parties.
The groups, including Womanifesto, the Nigeria League of Women Voters, Women in Politics Forum, 100 Women Lobby Group, Women Collective Hub, and The Electoral Hub, expressed concern over what they described as the growing exclusion of women from internal party processes.
They cited zoning arrangements, consensus candidacies, high financial barriers, and entrenched structural disadvantages as key obstacles.
According to the coalition, many qualified women, who expressed interest in contesting, have been screened out, discouraged from purchasing nomination forms or pressured to step down for male candidates before primaries are concluded.
The groups warned that these practices threaten the modest gains Nigeria has made in women’s political representation.
The statement noted that while women constitute a significant portion of Nigeria’s voting population, they remain largely absent from leadership and decision-making positions.
The statement read: “Despite years of advocacy, female aspirants continue to face systemic obstacles within party structures that undermine fair competition.”
Womanifesto, speaking on behalf of the coalition, also raised concern about the concentration of women aspirants within a few dominant parties without guarantees of equitable ticket allocation.
It warned that many capable women may fail to make it onto the ballot, further reducing women’s presence in the National Assembly and other elective offices.
The coalition urged political parties to ensure transparent, inclusive and violence-free primaries; create deliberate pathways for increased women’s representation; and introduce gender quotas in party constitutions at all levels.
Other demands included reducing nomination fees, empowering national women leaders with real authority, and preventing the misuse of consensus and zoning to exclude women.
Describing parties as the “gatekeepers of Nigeria’s democracy”, the coalition said political leaders must prioritise national development over narrow interests.
It further called for collaboration among parties, civil society, media and communities to improve voter education and support for women candidates, stating that: “History will remember the choices made at this defining moment.”