Alex Enumah in Abuja
A women group, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies in the country to provide an enabling platform for women participation in Saturday’s governorship and state houses of assembly’s election.
The group’s call was predicated on the need to enhance women’s participation in the second round of the 2023 general elections.
In a Pre-election Statement on the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly’s Elections, presented to journalists in Abuja, FIDA’s
Country Vice President/National President, Mrs. Amina Agbaje, stated that the just concluded elections experienced some technical hitches which led to the dis-enfranchisement of a lot of Nigeria voters inclusive of women.
“A major fallout of the elections witnessed women low representation in the forthcoming 10th National Assembly as only 16 female candidates amounting to about 6% won elective positions out of 378 female contestants.
“We have witnessed only three women wining seats in the Nigeria Senate, while 13 winning seats in the Federal Houses of Representative. Comparatively only 3.7% of National Assembly seats were won by women out of the 423 seats declared thus far by the Independent National Election Commission.
“This has clearly reiterated the fact that Nigeria’s democratic experience has not expanded opportunities for meaningful participation and representation of women in politics and governance and a reduction in participatory elective positions for females”, Mrs. Agbaje said.
To remedy the situation, she called for a strategic deployment of security personnel across the176, 606 polling units of the state towards forestalling any form of violence at the polls which will limit the participation of women in the general elections.
“In the light of the foregoing, key actors in the electoral processes particularly INEC, political parties, security agencies, mass media and Civil Society Organisations need to pay increasing attention to factors limiting women participation ahead of the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Election.
“As such, the following recommendations are considered pertinent: Deployment of Electoral materials (Sensitive & Non –Sensitive) across all Registration Area Centers and polling units timeously is key for an improved political participatory process for women.
“Effective collaboration and synergy with other stakeholders especially INEC, Security agencies and Election Observation Groups should be cultivated and sustained.
“Security agencies should continually adhere to the principles of impartiality and neutrality toward securing the polls which will help in mitigating electoral violence especially those perpetuated against women in elections”, the group demanded.
