The participation of womenfolk in Nigerian politics is still largely unimpressive. A survey cited by This Day, for instance, shows that the Africa’s biggest economy has recorded the worst performance in terms of women participation in politics and electoral processes.
The Global Gender Gap index data of the World Economic Forum (WEF) reportedly ranked Nigeria 135th out of 144 countries, scoring 0.052 in 2017, where score 0.00 means imparity and 1.00 means parity.
Based on the data, Nigeria declined to 0.052 in 2017, from 0.097 in 2016, representing a 46.4% drop.
Currently, there are 469 legislators in the National Assembly: 109 and 360 in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.
Out of this, only seven women are in the Senate while 22 are in the House. Thus, female lawmakers constitute 6.2% while male legislators, 93.8 per cent.
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At the state assembly level, there are 51 women out of 990 members, representing 5.2 per cent in terms of representation.
While Nigerian politicians pay lip service to enhanced women participation in politics, other African countries seem to be taking the lead.
For instance, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently appointed a new cabinet with a record 50% female, including the country's first woman defence minister, after legislators unanimously approved the nominations put forward by
At the apex level, Liberia set the pace for Africa when it elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Africa's first elected female president.
In 2015, Nigeria had its first female presidential candidate, Remi Sonaiya on the platform of the KOWA Party but failed to get the Aso Villa. She recently lost her bid to Dr Adesina Fagbenro Byron in representing the party again in 2019 election.
As the 2019 elections draw nearer, there are no indications that things may get better in terms of women participation in the nation’s politics.
The most popular female presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Oby Ezekwezili, contesting on the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) is already facing acceptability issue.
According to a poll conducted by Legit.ng, Nigeria’s number one online news publisher, 85% of Nigerians believe the country is not ready for a female president, with only 15% saying the country is ready.
85% of Nigerians believe the country is not yet ready for a female president - Legit poll
Below are some divergent reactions that follow the poll:
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Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan has berated Nigerian politicians who indulge in inducing the electorate during campaigns, stating that such actions are criminalised in international quarters.
Speaking on the occasion of his 61st birthday and the launch of his book, My Transition Hours, held in Abuja on Tuesday, November 20, Jonathan admitted that he didn't know that voters inducement was criminal until he observed foreign elections.
According to Sahara Reporters, Jonathan said he made the comments on the electoral process in the country in order to pave the way for improvement that can be adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Source: Legit.ng
