Speaking together at the next All Progressives Congress (APC) convention, women’s advocacy groups have stated that the 4.11 percent of women represented in the committee is inappropriate and below the 35 percent gender affirmation threshold.
In light of this, they have urged lawmakers and executives to move quickly and view the approval of the gender laws that demand for additional seats in the National Assembly as an urgent concern.
Concerned about the inclusion of only three women in the 73-member committee, the Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), 100 Women Lobby Group, Women in Media, Safe-Point, and Care Initiative, and other civil society organizations said that this number is significantly below both Nigeria’s affirmative action target of 35 percent and the global benchmark of 30 percent.
WIPF Founder Ebere Ifendu spoke on behalf of the groups yesterday in Abuja, stating that the development goes against the APC constitution, which advocates affirmative action and inclusion.
A ruling party’s commitment to inclusive governance at the national level is seriously called into question, she cautioned, if it is unable to exhibit female inclusiveness within its internal institutions.
She emphasized that the issue goes beyond the APC and called on all political parties to abide by the equality, representation, and citizenship clauses of the constitution.
She says that the days of political parties ignoring these demands without taking responsibility are over.
Gender advocacy groups have stepped up their calls for explicit legislative and executive support for the planned Special Seats measure, Ifendu said in remarks about the electoral measure, characterizing it as a democratic requirement rather than an advocacy issue.
The law, she added, offers a realistic method to improve Nigeria’s consistently low level of women’s representation in governance and is a political opportunity for the country’s 10th National Assembly.
She claims that “political violence, the monetization of politics, exclusion from party structures, and a shrinking civic space are just a few of the systemic barriers that Nigerian women have continued to face.”
She emphasized that affirmative legislative intervention is still the only practical way to improve Nigeria’s persistently low record on women’s political involvement and contended that it is no longer an option.
She stated, “Nigeria cannot hold elections while routinely excluding half of its population from decision-making.”
According to the NGOs, enacting the measure will demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusive governance and fair representation while also bolstering Nigeria’s democracy.
In her remarks, Dr. Amina Obmeri of the Safe-Points and Care Initiative called on women in political parties to take greater initiative and called the situation concerning.
Instead of waiting to speak up after choices have been made, she encouraged women to actively participate in party structures, advocate for inclusion, and comprehend internal political processes.
The groups cautioned that the persistent absence of women undermines democracy and prevents girls from pursuing political careers, and they urged the APC leadership to examine the committee list and match it with the 35% affirmative action policy.
In preparation for the general elections in 2027, they promised to keep an eye on political party operations and to call attention to any ongoing marginalization of women in party structures.
