A coalition of gender friendly Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) has demanded fair chances for female candidates ahead of the party primaries .
A joint statement by the coalition of CSOs on Women’s Political Participation (WPP) in Ekiti State , therefore called on political activists, electoral stakeholders, government institutions, and the public to hold political parties accountable to the principles of inclusion, fairness, and democratic integration .
Titled :Ekiti 2027 Elections: Women’s Political Participation at a Critical Crossroads,the activists seek equal opportunities for Women during the forthcoming primaries.
Specifically l,the activists called on political parties to, among other things, Institutionalize clear and inclusive guidelines for candidate selection, including where consensus arrangements are adopted.
The advocates urged them to publicly commit to the 35 percent affirmative action targets for women’s representation across Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assembly candidacies.
They parties to also ensure that internal processes are free from discrimination, intimidation, and exclusion
The statement reads :
“We call on political parties across Ekiti state through the Inter party Advisory Council (IPAC) particularly the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) under the able leadership of HE. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji takes deliberate and concrete steps toward advancing women’s political representation through elections.
“This is a call to ensure that women are given fair, transparent, and genuine opportunities to contest, compete, and emerge as candidates within party structures and electoral processes. Beyond the State Houses of Assembly, women must also be accorded serious consideration for positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate, rather than being sidelined in political negotiations, consensus arrangements, and power-sharing discussions.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 guarantees every citizen the right to vote and be voted for, and this constitutional right must be reflected in practice, not merely in principle.
“Women are not only voters; they are critical stakeholders in nation-building, democratic governance, and sustainable development. The time has come for intentional inclusion and meaningful representation of women in politics, beyond symbolic gestures and tokenism. Political parties in Ekiti State must demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusive democracy by creating enabling environments that support and promote women’s leadership and participation. Ekiti State has made significant progress that requires strong political will and political parties’ commitment to maintain the giant stride.
“When women are excluded at the point of nomination, democracy itself is already compromised before a single vote is cast.” Women’s political participation cannot be achieved without transforming how candidates emerge.
“Political parties remain the primary gatekeepers of democratic participation. The extent to which they create inclusive processes will determine whether the current 26 percent women’s representation at the Ekiti State 7th Assembly will be surpassed or maintained in the 8th Assembly. This will also determine whether the 35 percent benchmark remains rhetorical or becomes a lived reality.
“As political parties continue the processes of selecting candidates through primaries or consensus arrangements into the national and state parliaments (i.e. Senate, House of Representatives, and State House of Assembly) in line with the Electoral Act 2026, the foundations of representation are currently being laid. This stage is not merely procedural, it is determinative. It defines who gets the opportunity to contest, and ultimately, who gets to lead and represent the voices of women.
“Though Nigeria has long committed to inclusive governance and 35 percent Affirmative Action for women as a signatory to numerous International treaties and the enactment of National and Sub-national laws and policies including the National Gender Policy domesticated in Ekiti state as the Gender and Development Policy 2011 and the Ekiti State Equal Opportunities Law 2013.
There remains a disconnect between national and/or state commitments and political parties’ practice which has mirrored low women’s emergence in leadership positions through elections. Structural barriers, including opaque candidate selection processes, unequal access to party structures, election financing constraints, and deeply entrenched gendered power dynamics – continue to limit women’s participation on equal terms.
Women Political Participation (WPP), Working Group that endorsed the statement are :
● The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD), Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF), Ekiti Women Arise (EWA)
, Ekiti Women Advocacy Team (EWAT).
Also signed the document were : Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI), Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion (GRIP), Foundation for Excellent Living and Development (FELAD)
, Disability not a Barrier Initiative (DINABI), Media for Human Development Foundation,9 Kids and Teens Resources Centre (K&TRC), Gender Advocacy Network (GANnet), Rays of Hope Foundation for Sustainable Development, Lighthouse Charity and Legacy Foundation
, Society for Women Against AIDs in Africa Nigeria (SWAAN), and Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI)
Others are: Haven of Hope Foundation for Health and Community Development., National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and Women in Politics Forum (WIPF)