Women Locked Out of Leadership as Party Primaries Tilt Against Female Aspirants

Juliet Akoje In Abuja

The Founder of TOS Foundation Africa, Chief Mrs. Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche
has raised concerns over what she described as the systematic exclusion of women from political leadership through party primary processes, warning that internal party mechanisms are increasingly shutting women out ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ogwuche, who also heads the HerCademy Leadership Institute, cited a statement by former Liberian President and Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, noting that women constitute half of society and that their empowerment should be regarded as a necessity rather than a favour.

She recalled that when TOS Foundation Africa launched its advocacy campaign for the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, one recurring question was why women could not compete directly with men in politics instead of seeking reserved seats.

According to her, critics argued that political success is earned through struggle and not handed out.

However, Ogwuche argued that the current realities within Nigeria’s political system provide answers to those concerns, insisting that the structures guiding political participation already place women at a disadvantage before electoral contests even begin.

She observed that as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections by unveiling primary election procedures and internal regulations, a troubling pattern has emerged.

According to her, women in politics are increasingly being sidelined, reinforcing longstanding claims that the system is skewed against female participation from the onset.

Ogwuche highlighted Nigeria’s poor performance in women’s political representation, noting that the country currently ranks 180th out of 185 nations in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s global ranking of women in parliament.

She pointed out that Nigeria falls behind countries affected by conflict and fragile governance structures that have nevertheless prioritised women’s inclusion in leadership.

She further stated that women currently occupy only four per cent of seats in the National Assembly, significantly below the global average of 26.9 per cent.

Drawing comparisons, she noted that Rwanda, despite emerging from genocide, has achieved 61 per cent female representation in parliament, describing Nigeria’s situation as not only embarrassing but a major policy failure.

At the HerCademy Leadership Institute, established to support women aspiring to leadership positions, especially in politics, Ogwuche said female associates have consistently reported pressure from political parties to withdraw in favour of consensus candidates.

She stressed that the trend cuts across several political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and others.

Referencing remarks by former South African President Thabo Mbeki at an African Union Summit, she noted that Africa’s advancement cannot be achieved without the full participation of women in economic, social, cultural and political life.

She lamented that Nigerian women are being pushed aside within formal political structures before electoral races commence.

Ogwuche said the central issue is no longer whether women are being excluded from politics, but what practical steps should be taken to address the challenge.

She explained that in March 2025, TOS Foundation Africa launched a campaign advocating for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, a constitutional amendment proposing additional seats in the National and State Houses of Assembly to be contested exclusively by women.

According to her, the bill received wide-ranging endorsements from top political figures and institutions, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, several political party chairmen and other stakeholders.

Despite this level of backing, Ogwuche expressed disappointment that the bill remains stalled at the National Assembly, where it is among 44 constitutional amendment proposals yet to make progress.

She contrasted Nigeria’s situation with countries that have implemented gender quotas or reserved seats, stating that such measures have produced notable gains in women’s representation.

Countries such as Bolivia, Cuba and the United Arab Emirates, she said, have surpassed 50 per cent female representation in parliament due to deliberate structural mechanisms.

Closer to Africa, she referenced Senegal’s 2010 gender parity law, which reportedly increased women’s representation in parliament from 22 per cent to 43 per cent in a short period.

Rwanda’s success, she added, was driven by constitutional provisions under Article 9, which mandate at least 30 per cent representation for women in all decision-making bodies.

According to Ogwuche, these achievements demonstrate that women’s political inclusion is not accidental but the result of intentional policy choices.

She questioned the country’s commitment to gender inclusion, asking how serious Nigeria is if endorsements from the nation’s top leaders have failed to move the bill through the legislature.

Women’s Inclusion Described as Economic Necessity,
Ogwuche argued that the push for greater female participation in leadership is not based on sentiment but economic necessity, citing remarks by former African Union Commission Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who described gender equality as both morally right and economically sensible.

She maintained that women’s inclusion in governance should be viewed as a socioeconomic imperative rather than an emotional appeal.

Citing findings by the McKinsey Global Institute, she said advancing women’s equality globally could contribute as much as $12 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

She also referenced reports by the World Economic Forum, which indicate that countries with stronger female political representation often record higher levels of human development, lower corruption rates and more stable institutions.

She further cited a UN Women study suggesting that female legislators are more likely than men to sponsor bills addressing healthcare, education, child welfare and anti-corruption issues, sectors that directly affect citizens’ wellbeing.

For Nigeria, Ogwuche argued that increasing women’s representation in the National Assembly from the current four per cent to between 10 and 20 per cent could contribute an estimated $229 billion to the national economy, describing the figure as a strong policy justification for reform.

She also pointed to documented challenges faced by female politicians, citing reports by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which identified voter bias, party gatekeeping, inadequate funding and intimidation as major barriers confronting women candidates in Nigeria.

Ogwuche noted that during the 2023 general elections, only 179 women were elected into legislative positions across all levels out of more than 1,000 available seats, arguing that the numbers reflect a system designed to discourage women’s participation.

Quoting Ellen Johnson Sirleaf again, she said Nigerian women in politics continue to aspire to leadership despite systemic obstacles that repeatedly undermine their progress.
Call for Urgent Action Ahead of 2027 Elections.

Ogwuche warned that with the Reserved Seats Bill stalled and party primaries already disadvantaging women before campaigns begin, expecting women to simply “fight their way in” amounts to structural unfairness.

She argued that no country has achieved political gender parity without deliberate interventions, noting that Scandinavian nations often celebrated for gender equality attained their progress through legislation, enforcement and institutional accountability rather than encouragement alone.

According to her, African countries such as Rwanda also provide evidence that political will, not cultural barriers, determines the success of women’s representation in governance.

Citing late Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, Ogwuche urged Nigeria’s political establishment to rise to what she described as a higher moral responsibility in advancing women’s inclusion.

She encouraged women seeking leadership positions not to abandon their ambitions, urging them to document cases of exclusion, build alliances and continue advocating for reform, insisting that political systems can be pressured into change.

Ogwuche also challenged political leaders who have publicly supported women’s inclusion to ensure that their endorsements translate into legislative action, quoting former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, who described leadership as action and example rather than titles.

She concluded that excluding women from governance amounts to a national loss Nigeria can no longer afford, especially as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.

According to her, capable and committed women are already being excluded through party primaries before contests officially begin, stressing that Nigeria deserves a better political system and stronger commitment from leaders who claim to seek national progress while sustaining structures that weaken inclusion.

Ogwuche is the Founder of TOS Foundation Africa and the HerCademy Leadership Institute.