Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Ilorin, Emmanuel O. Ojo, yesterday urged Nigerian women to leverage their electoral strength by voting only for candidates and political parties that demonstrate genuine commitment to gender inclusion, warning that democracy in the country will remain incomplete until women secure meaningful representation in governance.
Ojo also called for a constitutional quota guaranteeing women at least 30 per cent representation in elective and appointive offices, insisting that women should withdraw electoral support from political parties that fail to prioritise gender inclusion in their manifestoes and leadership structures.
Speaking at the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS), South-West Forum, in Ibadan, Oyo State, the don delivered a lecture titled: ‘Human Rights and Women’s Rights to Vote Wisely’, during the organisation’s conference with the theme: ‘Right, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls in the Society’.
He argued that although women account for about 49.4 per cent of Nigeria’s population, they occupy barely 4.1 per cent of seats in the current National Assembly, describing the imbalance as a major setback to democratic consolidation and national development.
According to him, countries that have deliberately adopted affirmative action policies have recorded remarkable improvements in women’s political participation, citing the United Kingdom, the United States, Uganda, Mozambique, Norway, Sweden and Peru as examples of nations where quota systems have significantly increased female representation.
Ojo, whose copy of his speech was made available to THISDAY in Abuja, said Nigeria must learn from those experiences by embedding affirmative action in its constitutional and political framework, stressing that the ongoing constitutional review presents an opportunity to institutionalise gender inclusion.
He challenged women to move beyond participating only as voters during elections and become active political stakeholders capable of influencing the direction of governance.
The professor urged women to organise politically and refuse to support parties that deny them leadership opportunities from the ward level to the national level.
According to him, political parties that continue to sideline women in decision-making should not expect to benefit from the voting strength of Nigeria’s female population.
He identified cultural, religious, social and institutional barriers as major impediments to women’s political advancement, adding that entrenched stereotypes continue to confine women to domestic roles while discouraging them from seeking public office.
Ojo also criticised sections of the media for reinforcing gender stereotypes through inadequate coverage of female leaders, urging media organisations to become stronger advocates for gender equality by highlighting the achievements and leadership capacities of women.
He further called for greater investment in political education, leadership training, economic empowerment and campaign financing for women, saying many qualified female aspirants are discouraged from contesting elections because of financial constraints and limited political exposure.
The don also urged the National Orientation Agency and other government information agencies to intensify voter education, particularly in rural communities, to encourage wider acceptance of women in leadership positions.
He equally challenged women to support fellow women seeking elective offices, warning that internal bias against female candidates has continued to undermine the struggle for gender equality.
According to him, Nigeria cannot maximise its democratic and developmental potential while excluding nearly half of its population from decision-making.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, has urged Nigerian youths to place character, competence and patriotism above academic qualifications, titles and other superficial credentials when choosing leaders in the 2027 general election.
Speaking while receiving leaders of the Arewa Students Forum at the SDP national headquarters in Abuja, Gombe described leadership as Nigeria’s greatest challenge, insisting that sustainable development would remain elusive unless citizens elected leaders with integrity and proven capacity.
He also urged members of the forum to deploy their estimated 2.1 million voting strength strategically to support credible candidates capable of addressing the country’s mounting socio-economic and political challenges.
“Leadership is our major problem in this country. When you don’t get it right at the level of leadership, you are not going to get it right at any level or in any sphere of human endeavour,” he said.
The SDP chairman stressed that academic qualifications alone do not guarantee effective governance.
“Character comes before learning. Learning without character is virtually nothing. Character matters in the life of an individual, community or nation,” he added.
The SDP chairman clarified that although the forum is non-partisan, its members have a civic responsibility to participate actively in the democratic process by supporting credible leaders, irrespective of political party affiliation.
Drawing from his experience as a former student union leader, Gombe urged students to begin demonstrating leadership qualities early in life, recalling that campus leaders of his generation played significant roles in shaping national policy debates.