BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
The marginalization of women in politics in Nigeria got worse in the ongoing 2023 general election with results from the National Assembly showing that less than 0.1per cent of the winners are women.
There have been hues and cries for the women in politics to have reasonable representation at all arms of the government which includes the legislature. However, elections are not appointments. As candidates, they have to face the electorate, canvas for votes and allow the voters to make their choices.
In 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule after a prolonged military rule, only three women emerged as senators.
The situation improved subsequently. In 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 the women senators in the red chamber were fluctuating around 4, 8, 7, 8 and 6 but with the 98 senators already issued with Certificate of Return by INEC as winners in their respective Senatorial District, the number returned to three though 11 reruns are expected to be held to complete the statutory 109 seats.
The big question remains; how many women candidates will win in the rerun?
In her reaction, All Progressives Congress Deputy National Women Leader, Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim, said it is not encouraging at all. She described the situation as a major setback for women participation in politics generally and elective positions in particular.
“It’s not encouraging at all. I have just spoken to a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. I told him the number of women in the National Assembly, both Senate and House of Representatives has dropped. And I have started lobbying on how we can start the inclusion of women in mainstream politics. As it is now, it is becoming more and more difficult for women to even take part in active politics not to talk of elective positions.
“And if the trend continues with what it is now, it’s going to be worse than what we have now but with legislation our 35 per cent seat in the National Assembly would be left for just women. That way, if we have a legislature of 35 percent of women, issues pertaining to gender will be passed easily. Honestly, the number of women we have in both the Senate and House of Representatives is very discouraging and disheartening but we thank God all the same for what we have and I am sure we will get there one day slowly but surely.”
Events have shown that despite efforts by the male lawmakers to lord it over their female colleagues, the women folk have blatantly refused to be intimidated. Vibrancy has always come from the women legislators who against all odds vied to lead either of the chambers and or major committees, while some succeeded, others could not.
In 2007, Patricia Olubumi Etteh was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives after the removal of Dimeji Bankole as Speaker. In 2019, Nkiru Onyjiocha contested for the position but lost to the current Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, yet she was elected Deputy Chief Whip.
Senator Nkechi Nwogu said the situation is extremely discouraging to say the least.
“It is not only worrisome but extremely discouraging. The politics of today has become something else. It cannot be for the fainthearted, it has become a do or die affair and women are never known to be involved in anything do or die.”
The two-term senator who represented Abia Central from 2007 to 2015 on the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party before officially joining the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2016, further said the situation is totally scary. She called for a conscious effort to make space for women.
“Some of us dropped from the race for reasons I wouldn’t want to divulge. There is threat to life and everything, making things very difficult even at the party level. The politics of today has become so merchandised. Already there are no women in the incoming 10th National Assembly. What is three out of 109? What can they do out of 109? They are like being in the middle of the ocean. All we need is to pray that someday it will be alright and Nigerians will do better by ensuring that women are voted in next time”
“What should be done is that there should be a conscious effort to make space for women in the National Assembly, Senate in particular and also in the House of Representatives. It should be of national concern. There should be a national policy. There was a time that women advocated for an extra constituency for women but it was voted down in the constitutional amendment. It’s a worrisome situation.”
She lamented that the present day politics has led to women dropping from contesting elective positions with men because of the desperation attached.
“Some of us dropped from the race for reasons I wouldn’t want to divulge. There is threat to life and everything, making things very difficult even at the party level. The politics of today has become so merchandised. Already there are no women in the incoming 10th National Assembly. What is three out of 109? What can they do out of 109? They are like being in the middle of the ocean. All we need is to pray that someday it will be alright and Nigerians will do better by ensuring that women are voted in next time.”
A woman politician and lawyer who preferred anonymity in a chat with The Point said, “Hello sir, I’m no longer in active politics and I would rather not respond to your question. In the past seven years of my active political life I know this.
“Nigeria political space is not women friendly, especially for elective positions. It is rough, expensive, emotionally draining as you need the approval of the society, family, husband (for the married) to keep late nights in meetings, travel at short notice.
“Singles like us are seen as sex objects 85% of the time and not our intelligence and capacity.
“Zero Godfather’s to talk to the cabals on our behalf like our men who are least capable have thuggery and hooliganism by opponents. No decent woman can on her own campaign and win an elective position without the help of the powers and 0.1% of us have that. Ireti Kingibe of FCT merely got lucky with the LP tsunami.
“A few months ago in a political meeting I attended, I told my fellow women to excel in their day jobs and let our resumes speak for us as we go and negotiate for appointments instead. We hope to make a difference in government offices like Dora Akunyili did with NAFDAC and Okonjo-Iweala is doing worldwide.”
A human rights lawyer, Maxwell Opara is of the opinion that having three women in the Senate in this dispensation is commendable and those women deserve awards.
According to him, which man will allow his wife, sister or daughter to participate in the present day politics in Nigeria?
“In fact, to be sincere with you, the number is even too much. That there are three women who won election into the Senate calls for awards for those women. As a man can you allow your wife or sister or daughter to participate in the politics of killings in Nigeria? Are you talking about the kind of money spent, are you talking about bullying? In fact no woman can fit in.
“As I was saying, there’s no woman who can fit into this politics played in Nigeria. The question I have been asking the people who are surprised is would you allow your wife to go and play this kind of politics, would you permit your daughter to go and play this kind of politics or would you allow your sister to go and play this kind of politics. Until we get it right at the top, that’s when everyone can now talk about the number of women in our National Assembly.
“We believe that when we get it right at the top we are there. Where we have an INEC that can pass a litmus test.
Someone like Mike Igini who knows the Electoral Laws as he knows his palms and is ready to defend it to the letter. Such a man that the Electoral Act is running in his blood, who is ready to set the system and make it work to the extent that if you are losing you will know you are losing and will be seeing it clearly and if you are winning you know from the beginning.
“In the University, from first year those that will make first class are known. But in an election everyone knows that this particular candidate cannot win even his ward, not of sound mind, does not relate with the electorates and yet the electoral umpires insist on forcing him on the people because he has bought them off how then can women make a mark in such elections. Tell me?”
Another legal luminary, Victoria Nlemigbo, didn’t mince words to describe it as a very terrible situation and negative development in Nigeria’s political space. She said the outcome of the February 25 National Assembly election that produced only three senators-elect nationwide will definitely hunt the country.
Speaking in a telephone conversation with The Point, Nlemigbo said, “Well if you look at the people that won the election, you will recognize the fact that their political development and of course they are not neophytes to the game.
However, it shows the overall performance of governance in the country because you see where women are in positions of authority they deliver. They do far better than their male counterparts. So it doesn’t augur well for the fabrics of this nation as a whole. It then means that is part of the reasons we are where we are today.”
She further noted that the deprivation and negatives working against women in this country have got to stop.
“Well I just pray that soon all the deprivation and negatives working against women in this country, not only in politics will be addressed one day. Should I call it xenophobia or internal discrimination against women? Look at women football teams, they are being coached by male coaches. Does it mean the female coaches can’t coach? No. The whole thing is very ugly. It is always there irrespective of the heights women have attained in every aspect of their life.
“It is not only worrisome but extremely discouraging. The politics of today has become something else. It cannot be for the fainthearted, it has become a do or die affair and women are never known to be involved in anything do or die,” she said.
