Female Deputy Governors Push APC For 35% Gender Inclusion Ahead Of 2027 Elections
In a political landscape where women remain significantly underrepresented, Nigeria’s female deputy governors are mounting a bold push to reshape the future of leadership.
A coalition of female deputy governors across Nigeria has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt a clear 35 per cent affirmative action framework ahead of the 2027 general elections, signalling a growing demand for gender equity within the ruling party.
In a formal letter dated March 27, 2026, addressed to APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the forum commended the party’s leadership for fostering unity and stability but stressed the urgent need to address the glaring imbalance in women’s political representation.
The governors painted a sobering picture: despite Nigeria’s political size, women occupy only a fraction of elective positions.
Data highlighted in the letter shows that women account for just about 4-5 per cent of elected offices nationwide, placing the country among the lowest globally in female political representation.
They noted that only nine female deputy governors currently serve across the federation, alongside four female senators and seventeen members in the House of Representatives, while several states have no female lawmakers at all.
Describing the issue as structural rather than a lack of capacity, the governors argued that Nigeria has a wealth of competent women already contributing meaningfully to governance.
However, systemic barriers within party structures and candidate selection processes continue to limit their participation.
To address this, the forum proposed a series of reforms, including a minimum of 35 per cent representation for women in State Houses of Assembly, at least one female legislator per senatorial district, and an increase in female deputy governors to a minimum of 18 nationwide.
They also urged the party to actively support the emergence of at least one female governor in each geopolitical zone, an unprecedented move in Nigeria’s political history.
Beyond fairness, the governors framed the proposal as a strategic necessity, arguing that increased female participation would strengthen voter engagement, deepen governance, and position the APC as a forward-looking party responsive to modern democratic expectations.
“This is a defining moment,” the letter emphasised, urging the party leadership to move beyond incremental progress and take decisive action that could reshape Nigeria’s political future.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, the call signals mounting pressure within the APC to translate rhetoric on inclusion into concrete political reforms.
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