The 2023 general elections have generated much controversy and talking points, ranging from widespread violence, voter suppression and intimidation, to the stoking of anti-tribal sentiments to prevent certain tribes from voting hitch-free.
In this article, The Quest Times reviews the 2023 general elections and how it affected women; from high cost of campaigns to the lack of commitment to the 35% representation for women in elective positions.
1. High cost of electioneering
Despite political parties offering free nomination forms (All Progressives Congress), while others slashed prices of forms, the cost of the electioneering process still poses a barrier for women.
As seen during the 2022 party primaries from presidential to other positions, delegates who voted during primaries were allegedly for sale to the highest bidders. Stories of delegates been bought with dollars by aspirants were rife during the party primaries period. It would be nigh impossible for a female aspirant to match her male counterpart in this scenario.
Describing free tickets as a “Greek Gifts”, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Paulen Tallen, says offering free nomination forms without a level playing field will do little or nothing to ensure the much-needed inclusiveness for women, youths and PWDs in the governance of the country.
She says, “Giving women free nomination forms is not the main issue. Giving women free nomination forms and then playing them out is unacceptable. Until a woman scales through the primaries, it is not yet Uhuru.
“So, until women scale through the primaries, they cannot effectively participate in an election. So, it’s not about giving some free nomination forms, we want to see women scale through the primaries and become candidates and the party takes over; we can then be sure that we are making progress.”
2. Use of religion to discriminate against women
Senator Aisha Binani, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Adamawa State, seemed on course to make history as Nigeria’s first elected female governor, following a closely-contested race with incumbent, Gov Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But in events which brings back memories of Aisha Alhassan’s near miss at the 2015 Taraba gubernatorial elections, the Adamawa gubernatorial election was declared inconclusive to the chagrin of Nigerians who were eager to welcome a first female Governor. Some supporters say Sen Binani was rigged out due to her gender.
Prior to running as the APC candidate in the Adamawa gubernatorial elections, Binani had to scale legal hurdles and opposition to her candidacy. She was sacked by a Federal High Court as candidate of the APC. In addition to the political opposition, she also faced opposition from some sections of the public who based their rejection of Binani on the teachings of Islam.
Below are tweets from popular Northern influencers on social media:
”I am now 100% against Binani becoming the Governor of Adamawa as it goes completely against the teachings of Islam.
“As much as I would love the people’s choice to prevail, I would pray that the calamity of being led by a woman doesn’t befall the good people of the state. -@___yellows
“Every time I see Muslims on my TL pushing and calling for Aisha Binani to be governor of Adamawa state which is 70% Muslim, it breaks my heart and makes me sad because this is not the Islam we practice.
“Prominent Sheiks didn’t even stutter on the issue when calling it HARAM” – @Waspapping_
The statements above are a prime example of the discrimination that women face when it comes to leadership roles in Islam. The notion that women are inferior and incapable of leading is a fallacy that has been perpetuated by patriarchal systems and traditions.
Islam teaches equality between men and women. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, states that men and women are equal in the eyes of God and that each person will be judged on their deeds, not their gender. However, the interpretation of Islamic teachings has been twisted by some to justify the discrimination of women in leadership roles.
There are many examples in Islamic history where women have played pivotal roles in leadership. For instance, Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, was a successful businesswoman who was a leader in her community.
Aisha, another wife of the Prophet, was known for her knowledge and was a respected scholar who taught both men and women.
Unfortunately, in many Muslim societies, women are excluded from leadership positions due to cultural and societal norms. The idea that women are too emotional or too weak to lead is an unfair stereotype that has no basis in Islamic teachings. Instead, it is a reflection of societal biases that have been perpetuated over time.
The statements above, which oppose the election of a woman as Governor of Adamawa, are a clear example of this discrimination. The fact that the person making the statement is using Islam as a justification for their discriminatory views is deeply troubling. It is essential to remember that religion should not be used to justify discrimination or prejudice against any group, including women.
Women have made significant strides in leadership roles in many parts of the world, including Muslim-majority countries. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve true gender equality. Muslim women need to be supported and empowered to take on leadership roles and challenge the outdated gender roles that hold them back.
3. Violence
Surely the story of Mrs Jennifer Efidi, which served as an inspiration to Nigerians, still lingers in minds. Just like any voter, Mrs Efidi went to the polling station to vote, but ended up being attacked by thugs looking to disrupt the polls.
Mrs Efidi sustained injuries to her face which required stitching, with videos of her bloodied face going viral. Undeterred by the attack, a brave Mrs Efidi returned to her polling unit to vote, with her face still dripping with blood, while carrying out her civic duty.
Unfortunately, a 41-year-old mother of three, Elizabeth Arigo Owie, was killed on Saturday, February 25, in Ogheghe community in Ikpoba Okha Local Council, Benin City, Edo State. Owie died after being shot in the chest by suspected political thugs who invaded their polling unit during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Also a pregnant woman, identified as Shamsiya Ibrahim on Saturday slumped and died while waiting on the queue to vote in Tsafe Area of Zamfara State. It was gathered that when the pregnant lady slumped, she was rushed to Tsafe General Hospital where she was confirmed dead upon arrival.
According to reports, Shamsiya traveled from Kotorkoshi area of Bungudu Local Government to Tsafe town, a distance of about 50 kilometers, to cast her vote
4. Drop in Women representation
The recently concluded National Assembly elections in Nigeria have revealed a worrying lack of progress in the representation of women in politics.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that only three women have been elected to the Senate (Oluranti Idiat Adebule (Lagos West), Ipalibo Harry Banigo (Rivers West) and Ireti Heebah Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory), a decline of 57% from the previous assembly.
In the House of Representatives, there has been a slight increase in female representation, with 15 women declared elected and 34 seats yet to be announced. However, the overall numbers remain low, indicating little progress in increasing female participation in politics since Nigeria’s 4th republic.
Although women’s groups and civil society organisations have advocated for greater representation of women in politics, structural barriers such as culture, religion, patriarchy, lack of financial resources, and political violence continue to impede women’s political participation.
A bill proposing additional women-only seats in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly failed to pass during the 9th Assembly’s Constitution Review exercise.
Despite some wins, significant improvements in female political representation have yet to be achieved in Nigeria.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom as one woman stood out and did her gender proud.
1. Dr Nnenna Otti stands out
In the recently concluded Abia State Governorship election, Professor Nnenna Oti, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, stood out for her integrity and courage. Despite facing threats, intimidation and attempts to manipulate the results, Oti ensured that the will of the people of Abia was upheld.
Alex Otti, candidate of the Labour Party (LP) was declared the winner of the Abia governorship election after polling 175,467 votes to defeat Okey Ahiwe, his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 88,529 votes.
INEC had suspended the collation of results in Abia after thugs invaded its office in Obingwa LGA. The assailants held the INEC officials hostage before they were released, prompting the electoral commission to call for a review of the process.
But the suspension created tension among stakeholders in the state and fueled accusations of attempts to manipulate the result.
Oti’s commitment to upholding the principles of free and fair elections was unwavering. She stood by her decision to ensure that votes counted and that the people’s mandate was upheld.
In her own words, “As an electoral officer, I have never in my life participated in any election, but duty came calling, I made my enquiries from Abuja and I said if I perish, I perish,” Oti said.
“They came with their threats, they came with their money, they came with their intimidation.
”I didn’t start today; I stand here before God, I have never defrauded anyone. I declared the riot act as follows: Under me, votes must count. Under me, the people’s mandate will be upheld because I, Professor Nnnena Oti, can never do evil.”
Her actions serve as a reminder that integrity and courage are vital qualities for those entrusted with the responsibility of conducting free and fair elections. Oti’s commitment to the principles of democracy is an inspiration to all those who believe in the power of the ballot box to effect change.