Regardless of Nigeria being an impartial nation for 64 years and having 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, ladies of this populous black nation are nonetheless dealing with substantial challenges and making little progress in securing excessive political positions within the fatherland.
The nation which runs a federal system, has the President being the very best workplace within the land, adopted by the Vice President (govt), President of the Senate and Speaker of the Home of Representatives and their deputies for the legislative arm.
On the state degree are Governors and their deputies; Audio system of the State Homes of Meeting and their deputies, whereas the native authorities has council chairmen, deputy chairmen in addition to leaders or audio system and deputy leaders or audio system of native authorities legislative councils.
To this point on the federal degree, the very best place ever occupied by a girl is that of Speaker of the Home of Representatives, held by Hon. Patricia Etteh for a brief interval of 4 months (June to October 2007).
Subsequent to her on the federal degree and nonetheless within the legislature was Hon. Mulikat Akande, who was elected as Chief of the Home of Representatives in 2011. After them got here Hon.Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as Home Deputy Chief Whip within the ninth Meeting and Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga Deputy Chief Whip of the tenth Home.
On the state degree, the very best political place was held by Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba who served as Governor of Anambra State from November 2006 to February 2007. She was instated when her principal, Governor Peter Obi, was impeached by the state legislature . Nevertheless, they later transferred her powers again to Mr. Peter Obi , when an attraction courtroom nullified the impeachment.
Additionally on the state degree, an excellent variety of ladies have been deputy governors, these embody; Stella Odife, Anambra; Ada Okwuono, Imo; Sarah Sosan, Lagos; Salmot Badru, Ogun; Paline Tallen, Plateau; Erelu Obada Osun; Monisade Christiana Afuye, Ekiti;
Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Oluranti Adebulea and Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu – Lagos.
Apparently, on the finish of the 2023 normal elections, 5 ladies had been elected deputy governors. They’re:
Noimot Salako-Oyedele (Ogun), Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom), Kaletapwa George Farauta (Adamawa), Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe (Kaduna),Ngozi Nma Odu (Rivers) and Patricia Obila (Ebonyi).
For the state legislature (Home of Meeting), Hon. Margaret Icheen from Benue braze the path as the primary feminine Speaker of the State Home of Meeting. She has been adopted by seven others – Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba (Ekiti), Hon. Titi Oseni-Gomez (Ogun), Hon. Eucharia Azodo (Anambra), Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili (Anambra), Hon. Rita Mmaduagwu (Anambra) and Hon.
Monsuratu Jumoke Sunmonu (Oyo).
Whereas information couldn’t be discovered as to what number of ladies are native authorities chairmen, a former Minister of Girls affairs had mentioned not too way back that of 325 elected native authorities chairmen, solely 31 had been females, 73 vice chairmen and 368 females out of two,075 councillors of native authorities areas.
On the finish of the 2023 normal elections, the risen hope was dimmed as solely three feminine Senators and 13 ladies had been elected within the Home of Representatives making the toal quantity 16 initially however decreased to fifteen when Hon. Beni Lar was sacked by the Attraction Courtroom.
The feminine lawmakers of 10 Meeting are:
Senate
Ireti Heebah Kingibe (Senator, FCT, LP)
Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Senator, Lagos West, APC)
Ipalibo Banigo (Senator, Rivers West, PDP)
Home
Regina Akume (Benue – Gboko/Tarka, APC)
Maureen Chinwe Gwacham (Anambra – Oyi/Ayamelum, APGA)
Marie Enenimiete Ebikake (Bayelsa – Brass-Nembe, PDP)
Zainab Gimba (Borno -Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge, APC)
Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta – Ethiope East/Ethiope West, PDP
Mariam Onuoha (Imo -Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, APC)
Kafilat Ogbara (Lagos – Kosofe, APC)
Oriyomi Onanuga (Ogun- Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North, APC)
Boma Goodhead (Rivers- Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru, PDP)
Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (Yobe- Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa, APC)
Fatima Talba (Yobe – Nangere/Potiskum, APC)
Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Oyo- Oluyole, APC)
Chinwe Clara Nnabuife (Anambra- Orumba North/Orumba South, YPP)
Blessing Onuh (Benue- Otukpo/Ohimini, APC)
Lilian Obiageli Orogbu (Anambra- Awka North/Awka South, LP).
However, there seems to be ray of hope for girls particularly within the legislature because the Home of Representatives lately handed for second studying, a invoice in search of the creation of 74 seats for girls within the federal parliament.
Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu and 12 others, the invoice seeks to change Sections 48, 49, 71, and 117 of the 1999 Structure (as amended) to create one “Particular seat reserved solely for girls within the Senate and Home of Representatives for every state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory .”
The invoice proposes to take impact after the time period of the present Nationwide Meeting elapses and is topic to overview each 16 years.
The invoice additionally proposes to change Part 91 of the structure to offer for 3 particular seats “Reserved solely” for girls within the State Homes of Meeting.
In a lead debate, a co-sponsor of the invoice, Hon. Joshua Gana(PDP, Niger) mentioned the proposed regulation will handle the “Profound imbalance and the under-representation of ladies within the Nationwide Meeting and at sub-national ranges
He lamented that although the Structure ensures equal rights, the illustration of ladies within the legislature has been “Alarmingly low.
“Within the seventh, eighth, and ninth Assemblies, ladies accounted for under 6.4 per cent, 6.1 per cent, and a pair of.7 per cent of the Senate respectively; and 6.4 per cent, 3.05 per cent, and 4.7 per cent of the Home of Representatives respectively.
“These statistics underscore the pressing want for proactive measures to make sure equitable illustration and amplify the voices of ladies in our legislative homes on the nationwide and sub-national ranges.
In his contribution, the spokesman for the Home, Hon. Akin Rotimi, mentioned there’s a “Broad consensus” for extra ladies illustration within the parliament.
Additionally, the Minority Chief of the Home, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, supported the invoice, saying the parliament must appropriate the deficiency, including that; “We should make a deliberate effort to resolve issues the place we see them,”
A lawmaker from Kano State, Hon. Ghali Tijani mentioned reasonably than reserve particular seats for girls, political events ought to deploy mechanisms to enhance ladies’s participation in politics.
Hons. Olamijuwonlo Alao Akala from Oyo, Patrick Umoh from Akwa Ibom, and Billy Osawaru from Edo additionally opposed the invoice, as they mentioned it was at variance with the provisions of the structure.
The same invoice was initiated within the ninth Meeting however didn’t scale by in each chambers of the bi-cameral legislature on the Structure alteration voting.
