The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged its support for reforms aimed at increasing women’s participation in elective offices and party leadership.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who received in audience on Wednesday in Abuja a high-powered advocacy delegation from the Women’s Collective Forum, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to gender equality and inclusive governance.
Prof. Yakubu emphasized that the visit coincided with the global commemoration of the 2025 United Nations International Day of Democracy, adding that the theme, “Achieving Gender Equality: From Voice to Action,” reflects the delegation’s mission.
“Ambassador Toyo and other members of the Women’s Collective are well-known advocates for inclusive democracy in Nigeria,” he said, stressing that democracy requires “unencumbered participation of all citizens irrespective of gender and disability.”
Stressing the imperative of women participation in politics and governance, Prof. Yakubu disclosed that 12 of the Commission’s 22 Departments and Directorates are headed by women, while many state administrative secretaries are also female.
“INEC is an equal opportunities organisation,” he said, adding that the commission maintains a gender policy and a dedicated Department of Gender and Inclusivity to ensure wider access for marginalized groups.
The INEC boss called on political parties to expand women’s representation in leadership and elective offices, but insisted that long-term progress depends on legal reforms.
“The most effective way of ensuring greater representation for women and other marginalised groups in the legislative assemblies is affirmative action supported by clear legal provision,” he stated, calling for constitutional and electoral amendments.
He recalled that INEC had endorsed proposals for special legislative seats for women during its earlier retreat with the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral matters.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, noted that women’s political exclusion remains systemic.
The former lawmaker and diplomat, lamented persistent structural barriers within Nigeria’s political culture.
“Why are the numbers what they are?” she asked, citing entrenched gatekeeping practices within political parties that suppress women’s voices and limit participation.
Toyo argued that the struggle for gender inclusion goes beyond women alone to encompass persons with disabilities and youth.
“It’s no longer just about women. It’s about inclusion,” she said, noting that even when parties include women’s wings, these structures often confine rather than empower female members.
She urged INEC to press newly registered parties to outline clear inclusion strategies, warning against “new parties that look like the old and continue to exclude instead of include.”
The delegation also championed the proposed “Reserved Seats Bill,” a constitutional amendment currently before the National Assembly. According to Toyo and other speakers, the bill would create women-only constituencies for legislative elections, mandating at least one Senate seat and one House of Representatives seat per state for women, along with three seats in each state assembly, to be contested exclusively by female candidates.