May 18, 2026 | SUNTV Global Channel | Politics
A leading gender advocacy organisation has raised concerns over what it describes as the continued exclusion of women from political party primaries across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Executive Director of the Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), , made the remarks during a press briefing in Abuja, where she criticised political parties for maintaining structures that limit women’s chances of emerging as candidates.
She said despite years of advocacy and constitutional provisions promoting equality, women are still being sidelined through high nomination fees, monetised delegate systems, political intimidation, and exclusion from key decision-making processes within parties.
According to her, the ongoing primary elections across various political parties show little improvement in gender inclusion.
“Across multiple political spaces, women continue to report being sidelined, pressured to step down for male aspirants, excluded from strategic negotiations, or subtly threatened with political ostracisation,” she said.
Sydney-Jack argued that the exclusion of women from party primaries is not accidental but deeply rooted in political structures shaped by elite networks, opaque consensus arrangements, and entrenched patriarchal systems.
She further described the situation as a “democratic bottleneck” that prevents women from reaching the ballot even before general elections begin.
The GSAI director called for stronger accountability measures, urging lawmakers and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enforce gender inclusion policies within political parties.
She proposed sanctions for non-compliance, including reduced access to public funding, mandatory gender quotas, and incentives for parties that field more women candidates.
“Democracy cannot rely solely on moral persuasion. There must be enforceable accountability mechanisms,” she added.
She also highlighted the imbalance between women’s grassroots political participation and their exclusion from leadership positions, noting that women play key roles in mobilisation and campaigning but are often sidelined during candidate selection.
Comparing Nigeria with other African nations such as Rwanda, Senegal, Namibia, and South Africa, she said those countries have achieved better female representation through constitutional quotas and parity laws.
Sydney-Jack warned that Nigeria risks slowing democratic progress if it fails to adopt similar reforms.
She urged immediate reforms ahead of the 2027 elections, including subsidised nomination forms for women, transparent digital delegate systems, reserved party slots for female aspirants, and strict measures against electoral violence.
Political analysts say the renewed debate underscores long-standing challenges facing women in Nigerian politics, where financial barriers and internal party dynamics continue to shape candidate emergence.
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