Political parties shutting out qualified women aspirants, groups warn

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

A coalition of women-led organisations has warned that internal party practices across Nigeria are increasingly shutting qualified women out of candidate selection processes, a trend that risks reversing modest gains in female political representation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In an open letter addressed to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party and other registered parties, the coalition — led by WOMANIFESTO and including the Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), 100 Women Lobby Group, Women Collective Hub and The Electoral Hub — said zoning arrangements, consensus candidacies, prohibitive nomination fees and entrenched structural barriers are being used to screen out, discourage or pressure female hopefuls to step down before primaries are concluded.

“Many qualified women who indicated interest in contesting elective positions have either been screened out, discouraged from purchasing nomination forms, or pressured to step down in favour of preferred male candidates before primaries are even concluded,” the coalition said. “These practices are not only unfair to individual aspirants; they undermine the credibility of party processes and weaken Nigeria’s democracy.”

The coalition warned that the exclusionary tactics threaten to further reduce the already low number of women occupying elective offices, including seats in the National Assembly. “Women comprise a significant portion of the electorate, yet they remain largely absent from leadership and decision-making positions because party structures continue to present systemic obstacles to fair competition,” the statement said.

The coalition highlighted a related risk: the concentration of women aspirants within a few dominant parties has not translated into equitable ticket allocation, meaning many capable women may never appear on ballots despite declaring interest. “Political parties are the gatekeepers of Nigeria’s democracy,” the coalition said. “If parties keep using zoning, consensus and financial barriers to exclude women, we will see a backslide in representation and the loss of perspectives essential for national development.”

They urged parties to stop using consensus arrangements and zoning as tools of exclusion and to ensure transparent, inclusive and violence-free primaries. It called on party leaders to introduce gender quotas in party constitutions and leadership structures, empower national women leaders with meaningful decision-making authority, reduce excessive nomination fees and publicly commit to affirmative measures that support women candidates.

“These are not mere procedural changes — they are corrective actions that must be taken now if Nigeria is serious about inclusive governance,” the coalition said. “History will remember the choices made at this defining moment.”

The letter also appealed for broader collaboration among political parties, women’s rights organisations, female politicians, civil society, media and community stakeholders to increase voter education and mobilise support for women candidates.