INEC Reports Gender Gap in Political Participation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over the substantial gap between women's participation as voters and their roles as political leaders in Nigeria. During a strategic engagement in Abuja on Wednesday, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, represented by National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus, emphasized the need for political parties to transition from mere verbal support to actionable measures that promote women's political participation.

Amupitan highlighted that women constituted 47.52 percent of the 93,469,008 registered voters in the 2023 general election, with 44,414,846 women registered. In the ongoing voter registration for the 2027 elections, women made up 52.68 percent of new registrants.

However, he lamented that only 10.15 percent of candidates in the 2023 elections were women, with only three elected to the Senate and 16 to the House of Representatives. Amupitan called for political parties to provide practical support to female candidates in various areas, including access to party structures and campaign resources.