Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said that one major reason many women in Nigeria struggle to win elections is that women themselves often vote for male candidates.
Akpabio made the remark on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from the European Union Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Mr. David McAllister, at the National Assembly in Abuja.
According to him, “Women often vote for male candidates, making it difficult for female candidates to win elections.”
He expressed concern over the low number of women in political positions despite women making up almost half of Nigeria’s voting population. Currently, only four of the 109 senators and 17 of the 360 members of the House of Representatives are women — a figure that has remained almost unchanged for the past two decades.
Akpabio said the National Assembly is determined to change this by creating a more supportive environment for women in politics.
He added that lawmakers are working on “innovative measures and possible constitutional amendments” to promote gender inclusion and ensure fair representation in governance.
The Senate President also promised that the legislature would partner with advocacy groups like the Black Women’s Forum and other stakeholders to help more women contest and win elections in the future.
