Women In Politics Demand Arrest Of Senator Kingibe’s Attackers

The Women in Politics Forum (WiPF) has decried the wave of violence, intimidation, and systemic exclusion being visited upon women aspirants across Nigeria’s political parties in ongoing primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The forum noted that the primaries have revealed a deeply troubling pattern regarding the abuse of the “consensus candidate” mechanism.

The forum, while condemning the physical attack on Senator Ireti Kingibe during the recent ADC primaries, called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to immediately arrest, investigate, and prosecute all identified assailants involved.

In a press statement, the Executive Director of WiPF, Barr. Ebere Ifendu, noted:

“The Forum views with grave alarm the 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, but 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.

“However, the ongoing primaries have revealed a deeply troubling pattern. The abuse of the ‘consensus candidate’ mechanism 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 Further Stated:

“WiPF has documented a sharp increase in multidimensional violence targeting women aspirants. These acts include intimidation to compel women to withdraw their ambitions, refusal by party officials to sell nomination forms to female aspirants, technology-facilitated harassment, 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 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 governance, 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.”

She demanded:

“The Nigeria Police Force must immediately arrest, investigate, and prosecute all identified assailants involved in the attack on Senator Ireti Kingibe and her fellow female aspirant. No political actor must be allowed to operate above the law.

“All political parties must ensure that their nomination processes comply fully with established rules governing primaries. 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.

“WiPF calls for the review and reversal of the baseless disqualification of Senator Ipalibo Banigo and any other female aspirant whose exclusion cannot be justified under party rules.”

Barr. Ifendu 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 obstructing women’s full participation in Nigeria’s democracy.”