By Nkechi Eze
The Women in Politics Forum (WiPF) has condemned what it described as growing violence, intimidation, and systemic exclusion targeted at women aspirants participating in ongoing political party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic process and women’s political participation.
According to a press statement signed by the Executive Director of WiPF, Barrister Ebere Ifendu, the Forum expressed grave concern over what it termed the abuse of the “consensus candidate” mechanism by political parties to sideline women from emerging as candidates.
The group stated that Nigerian women entered the current electoral cycle with renewed optimism following commitments allegedly made by party leaders to promote greater inclusion and participation of women in politics.
The statement noted that many women aspirants purchased nomination and expression of interest forms in good faith, investing significant resources and political capital based on assurances of fairness and inclusiveness.
However, WiPF lamented that the ongoing primaries have instead exposed what it described as a coordinated pattern of exclusion, intimidation, and manipulation aimed at frustrating female aspirants across party lines.
Barrister Ifendu described as particularly disturbing the alleged disqualification of Senator Ipalibo Banigo on what the Forum termed “frivolous and untenable grounds,” warning that such actions send dangerous signals to women seeking elective offices in the country.
The Forum further disclosed that it has documented increasing cases of political violence against women aspirants, including intimidation to force them out of contests, refusal by party officials to sell nomination forms to female aspirants, technology-facilitated harassment, and direct physical attacks.
WiPF specifically condemned the alleged assault on Senator Ireti Kingibe and another female aspirant within the premises of their party secretariat, describing the incident as an unacceptable violation of democratic rights and personal safety.
The organization warned that the continued exclusion and harassment of women could further worsen Nigeria’s already poor record of female representation in governance, which it said currently stands at about four percent, among the lowest globally.
WiPF subsequently called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest, investigate, and prosecute all individuals allegedly involved in the attack on Senator Kingibe and the other female aspirant.
The Forum also urged political parties to ensure strict compliance with established rules governing party primaries, insisting that the use of consensus arrangements to deliberately exclude women from participation is unlawful and anti-democratic.
The group further demanded proactive deployment of security agencies to guarantee the safety of women participating in primaries nationwide, while also calling on relevant party organs to review and reverse what it described as the unjustifiable disqualification of Senator Banigo and other affected female aspirants.
Barrister Ifendu warned that Nigerian women would not remain silent in the face of what she described as political impunity and deliberate suppression, stressing that WiPF would explore all legal, civil society, and international mechanisms available to hold accountable individuals, political actors, and institutions obstructing women’s participation in Nigeria’s democracy.
