Nigerian Women Who Served In Top Elective Positions

Despite Nigeria being an independent nation for 64 years and having 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, women of this populous black nation are still facing substantial challenges and making little progress in securing high political positions in the fatherland.

The country which runs a federal system, has the President being the highest office in the land, followed by the Vice President (executive), President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives and their deputies for the legislative arm.

At the state level are Governors and their deputies; Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly and their deputies, while the local government has council chairmen, deputy chairmen as well as leaders or speakers and deputy leaders or speakers of local government legislative councils.

So far at the federal level, the highest position ever occupied by a woman is that of Speaker of the House of Representatives, held by Hon. Patricia Etteh for a short period of four months (June to October 2007).
Next to her at the federal level and still in the legislature was Hon. Mulikat Akande, who was elected as Leader of the House of Representatives in 2011. After them came Hon.Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as House Deputy Chief Whip in the 9th Assembly and Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga Deputy Chief Whip of the 10th House.

At the state level, the highest political position was held by Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba who served as Governor of Anambra State from November 2006 to February 2007. She was instated when her principal, Governor Peter Obi, was impeached by the state legislature . However, they later transferred her powers back to Mr. Peter Obi , when an appeal court nullified the impeachment.

Also at the state level, a good number of women have been deputy governors, these include; Stella Odife, Anambra; Ada Okwuono, Imo; Sarah Sosan, Lagos; Salmot Badru, Ogun; Paline Tallen, Plateau; Erelu Obada Osun; Monisade Christiana Afuye, Ekiti;

Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Oluranti Adebulea and Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu – Lagos.
Interestingly, at the end of the 2023 general elections, five women were elected deputy governors. They are:

Noimot Salako-Oyedele (Ogun), Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom), Kaletapwa George Farauta (Adamawa), Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe (Kaduna),Ngozi Nma Odu (Rivers) and Patricia Obila (Ebonyi).
For the state legislature (House of Assembly), Hon. Margaret Icheen from Benue braze the trail as the first female Speaker of the State House of Assembly. She has been followed by seven others – Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba (Ekiti), Hon. Titi Oseni-Gomez (Ogun), Hon. Eucharia Azodo (Anambra), Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili (Anambra), Hon. Rita Mmaduagwu (Anambra) and Hon.

Monsuratu Jumoke Sunmonu (Oyo).

While records could not be found as to how many women are local government chairmen, a former Minister of Women affairs had said not too long ago that of 325 elected local government chairmen, only 31 were females, 73 vice chairmen and 368 females out of 2,075 councillors of local government areas.
At the end of the 2023 general elections, the risen hope was dimmed as only three female Senators and 13 women were elected in the House of Representatives making the toal number 16 initially but reduced to 15 when Hon. Beni Lar was sacked by the Appeal Court.

The female lawmakers of 10 Assembly are:

Senate
Ireti Heebah Kingibe (Senator, FCT, LP)
Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Senator, Lagos West, APC)
Ipalibo Banigo (Senator, Rivers West, PDP)

House

Regina Akume (Benue – Gboko/Tarka, APC)
Maureen Chinwe Gwacham (Anambra – Oyi/Ayamelum, APGA)
Marie Enenimiete Ebikake (Bayelsa – Brass-Nembe, PDP)
Zainab Gimba (Borno -Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge, APC)
Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta – Ethiope East/Ethiope West, PDP
Mariam Onuoha (Imo -Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, APC)
Kafilat Ogbara (Lagos – Kosofe, APC)
Oriyomi Onanuga (Ogun- Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North, APC)
Boma Goodhead (Rivers- Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru, PDP)
Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (Yobe- Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa, APC)
Fatima Talba (Yobe – Nangere/Potiskum, APC)
Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Oyo- Oluyole, APC)
Chinwe Clara Nnabuife (Anambra- Orumba North/Orumba South, YPP)
Blessing Onuh (Benue- Otukpo/Ohimini, APC)
Lilian Obiageli Orogbu (Anambra- Awka North/Awka South, LP).

Notwithstanding, there appears to be ray of hope for women especially in the legislature as the House of Representatives recently passed for second reading, a bill seeking the creation of 74 seats for women in the federal parliament.

Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu and 12 others, the bill seeks to alter Sections 48, 49, 71, and 117 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to create one “Special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory .”

The bill proposes to take effect after the term of the current National Assembly elapses and is subject to review every 16 years.

The bill also proposes to alter Section 91 of the constitution to provide for three special seats “Reserved exclusively” for women in the State Houses of Assembly.

In a lead debate, a co-sponsor of the bill, Hon. Joshua Gana(PDP, Niger) said the proposed law will address the “Profound imbalance and the under-representation of women in the National Assembly and at sub-national levels

He lamented that even though the Constitution guarantees equal rights, the representation of women in the legislature has been “Alarmingly low.

“In the 7th, 8th, and 9th Assemblies, women accounted for only 6.4 per cent, 6.1 per cent, and 2.7 per cent of the Senate respectively; and 6.4 per cent, 3.05 per cent, and 4.7 per cent of the House of Representatives respectively.

“These statistics underscore the urgent need for proactive measures to ensure equitable representation and amplify the voices of women in our legislative houses at the national and sub-national levels.
In his contribution, the spokesman for the House, Hon. Akin Rotimi, said there is a “Broad consensus” for more women representation in the parliament.

Also, the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, supported the bill, saying the parliament needs to correct the deficiency, adding that; “We must make a deliberate effort to solve problems where we see them,”

A lawmaker from Kano State, Hon. Ghali Tijani said rather than reserve special seats for women, political parties should deploy mechanisms to improve women’s participation in politics.

Hons. Olamijuwonlo Alao Akala from Oyo, Patrick Umoh from Akwa Ibom, and Billy Osawaru from Edo also opposed the bill, as they said it was at variance with the provisions of the constitution.

A similar bill was initiated in the 9th Assembly but failed to scale through in both chambers of the bi-cameral legislature at the Constitution alteration voting.