Tinubu urges greater women’s political inclusion, calls for solidarity ahead of 2027 elections

Says no nation can prosper by leaving half its population behind

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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has called for greater political inclusion of women, urging them to strengthen solidarity and support networks to secure more opportunities in leadership and governance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said Nigerian women must play more active roles in democratic nation-building, decision-making and peacebuilding, stressing that their participation was essential to strengthening democracy and promoting national stability.

Tinubu, who spoke through the Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, made the call at the maiden Nigeria Women for Peace and Democracy Summit and Awards 2026, organised by the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) in Abuja.

The summit had the theme “Women as Catalysts for Peace, Democracy and Inclusive Governance”.

The President described women as critical drivers of democracy and peace, urging them to build stronger alliances to advance their collective interests and secure a greater voice in governance.

“Women are not bystanders in our democracy. They are drivers of peace, builders of communities and catalysts for inclusive governance. When women stand together in solidarity, our democracy becomes stronger and our nation becomes more peaceful,” he said.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, to implementing policies and programmes that would expand opportunities for women in leadership, governance and peacebuilding.

“My administration remains committed to creating more space for women in leadership, in governance and in peacebuilding. No nation can truly prosper when half of its population is left behind,” Tinubu added.

The President’s appeal comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the NCWS using the summit to press for stronger representation of women in political and governance structures.

Earlier, the National President of the NCWS, Edna Azura, said the summit was deliberately organised ahead of the elections to position women as active participants in shaping the country’s political and democratic future.

She challenged women to move beyond being spectators in the political process and demand seats at decision-making tables, noting that they often bore the greatest burden of conflict and instability.

“We are gathered here not as spectators, but as key actors. Women must sit at the table where decisions about peace and democracy are made, because we bear the greatest burden of conflict and instability,” Azura said.

Similarly, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said sustainable peace and national security could not be achieved without women’s full participation in decision-making.

Represented by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Jummai Idonije, the minister said women’s inclusion was a necessity for national stability, not an act of charity.

“There can be no sustainable peace, no lasting security, without women. Inclusion of women in decision-making is not charity, it is a necessity for national stability,” she said.

Also speaking, the APC senatorial candidate for the FCT, Philip Aduda, commended the NCWS for the initiative and pledged support for policies and programmes that would give women greater representation and opportunities in governance.

Participants drawn from women’s organisations, ministries, departments and agencies, as well as diplomatic missions, also underscored the importance of women’s inclusion in governance as a foundation for peaceful coexistence and democratic stability.

A major highlight of the summit was the Nigeria Women for Peace and Democracy Awards, which recognised individuals, institutions, development partners, humanitarian organisations and women leaders for their contributions to peacebuilding, women’s empowerment and democratic governance.