By Vivian Okejeme
The Women in Politics Forum (WiPF) has decried the wave of violence, intimidation, and systemic exclusion against women aspirants across Nigeria’s political parties in ongoing primary elections towards the 2027 general.
The Forum noted that the primary elections have revealed a deeply troubling pattern as it concerns the abuse of the “consensus candidate” mechanism.
A press statement by the Executive Director, WiPF, Barr. Ebere Ifendu, Monday, noted that, “The Forum views with grave alarm the alarming wave of violence, intimidation, and systemic exclusion being visited upon women aspirants across Nigeria’s political parties in the current primary election season. What is unfolding is not merely a breach of democratic norms, it is a deliberate and orchestrated assault on the political rights of Nigerian women.
“Nigerian women entered this electoral cycle with great expectations, having secured commitments from party leaders through sustained advocacy for greater inclusion.
“Responding to these assurances, a significant number of women purchased expression of interest and nomination forms to contest at various levels across multiple political parties. These women acted in good faith, investing their resources and reputations based on promises made.
“However, the ongoing primaries have revealed a deeply troubling pattern. The abuse of the “consensus candidate” mechanism, a practice not new but now reaching embarrassing proportions, has led to a significant and unjustifiable decline in the number of women emerging as candidates.
“Most egregiously, a sitting senator, Senator Ipalibo Banigo, was disqualified on frivolous and untenable grounds, sending a chilling message to women aspirants across the country.”
She stated that, “WiPF has documented a sharp increase in multi-dimensional violence targeting women aspirants. These acts include direct intimidation to compel women to withdraw their ambitions; deliberate refusal by party officials to sell nomination forms to female aspirants; technology-facilitated violence designed to harass and discredit women in the public sphere; and direct physical attacks.
“In a particularly shocking incident, Senator Ireti Kingibe and a fellow female aspirant were physically assaulted within the premises of their own party secretariat, an attack that represents an unconscionable violation of their safety and democratic rights.
“WiPF is deeply concerned that these coordinated acts of violence and exclusion will further erode women’s representation in governancen, which already stands at an embarrassing 4%, one of the lowest in Africa and the world.
“Nigerian women have struggled for decades to reach even this meagre figure. Any further reduction would be a national disgrace and a failure of our democratic obligations.”
In light of recent development, the executive director made the following demands: “The WiPF demands that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) immediately arrest, investigate, and prosecute all identified assailants involved in the physical attack on Senator Ireti Kingibe and her fellow female aspirant. No political actor must be allowed to operate above the law.
“All political parties are hereby directed to ensure that their nomination processes comply fully with established rules governing primary elections. The weaponisation of the consensus mechanism to exclude women is illegal, anti-democratic, and will not be tolerated.
“Security agencies must be deployed proactively to ensure the safety of women participating in party primaries across all states. Violence as a tool of political exclusion must be met with the full force of the law.
“WiPF calls on the relevant party organs to review and reverse the baseless disqualification of Senator Ipalibo Banigo and any other female aspirant whose exclusion cannot be justified by the rules of the party.”
Barr. Ifendu further warned: “Let it be clearly understood: Nigerian women will not remain silent in the face of this level of political impunity and rascality. WiPF will mobilise all available legal, civil society, and international mechanisms to hold accountable every individual, party official, or institution that stands as an obstacle to women’s full and equal participation in Nigeria’s democracy.”
