A civil society organisation, Citizen Community Aid and Development Initiative, CCADI, has raised concerns over electoral violence against women in Rivers State, warning that intimidation, harassment and other forms of political violence are undermining women’s participation and representation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The organisation made the observation in a policy brief presented at its Multi-Stakeholders’ Information Dissemination Meeting on the 'Status of Electoral Violence Against Women in Rivers State' on Thursday.
The brief attributed the persistent violence surrounding elections in the state since the return to democratic governance in 1999 to corrupt members of the political class working to capture state power for personal wealth accumulation rather than public service.
It described the prevailing political climate as a major threat to democratic participation, stating that the prevailing zero-sum political game in Rivers State promotes electoral violence that has stifled the civic space and, in turn, has significantly affected the level of women's participation.
According to the organisation, women’s participation and representation in politics have continued to decline since 1999, a development it described as a monumental setback for democratic inclusion.
“The curve of women’s participation and representation in politics, elections and governance keeps sloping downwards since the start of this current democratic governance experiment in 1999, signalling a monumental backsliding,” the brief stated.
It cited the configuration of political parties’ candidates for the June 20, 2026, bye-elections in Rivers State, where none of the four candidates was a woman, as an indication of the persistent exclusion of women from the electoral process.
The brief also disclosed that women occupy only six of the 32 seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, representing 18 per cent of the membership, citing figures from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It warned that the low representation of women in political and democratic processes also limits their access to strategic public offices, economic livelihood opportunities, as well as security and environmental emergency response structures.
The organisation identified online and physical attacks by political opponents, sexual harassment, systematic verbal abuse, bullying and doxxing as some of the forms of electoral violence confronting women in the state.
It said these practices had discouraged and prevented women from emerging as candidates during party primaries for various elective positions.
“These violent acts have contributed to deterring and preventing women from emerging as candidates from the primary elections for different positions (such as Presidential, Governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly) of their various parties for the 2027 election cycle in Rivers State,” the brief stated.
As part of efforts to document the situation and promote timely interventions, CCADI disclosed that it had recruited, trained and deployed female election observers across the three senatorial districts of Rivers State to monitor and report incidents of electoral violence against women before, during and after elections.
The observers were deployed “to track and report incidents of electoral violence against women throughout the three phases, pre-election, election day, and post-election, of the elections cycle in Rivers State for prompt and rapid institutional interventions.”
The organisation also commissioned two investigative reports to examine cases of violence against women in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Among its preliminary findings was the alleged systematic exclusion of incumbent Senator representing Rivers West, Dr Ipalibo Banigo, a former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, from the 2027 senatorial race by what it described as a male-controlled political structure.
The findings also documented an incident in which a female political party candidate in Eleme Local Government Area was allegedly denied access to a public facility for a scheduled campaign activity.
Other concerns identified were reported disruptions of campaign activities, destruction of campaign materials belonging to different political parties, and increasing pressure on female aspirants from family members, communities and traditional institutions to abandon their political ambitions.
The organisation called on political parties, candidates, their members and supporters to adopt zero tolerance for electoral violence, particularly attacks targeting women.
It urged security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to act on available early-warning election reports to prevent and respond promptly to incidents of violence.
CCADI also recommended amendments to the 2026 Electoral Act to introduce stiffer penalties for perpetrators of electoral violence, including banishment from political and electoral participation.
It further called for the passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill, saying the proposed legislation would increase women’s participation and representation in elective positions and reduce their vulnerability to electoral violence.
Group raises alarm over electoral violence against women in Rivers, seeks stiffer sanctions