Despite having a large female membership and huge support from women, the major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have failed to field any female lawmaker from the 31 state constituencies. The situation has denied women any space in the business of lawmaking, making men presiding officers in matters of women in the 9th and 10th assemblies in the state. 

Investigation revealed that the women’s introverted attitude towards politics has compounded their shrinking space in the leadership in the State. Also, most of them are not politically enthusiastic. This has resulted in the lack of a woman in the legislative arm of the government. The lone female lawmaker in the 8th Assembly, Hon. Maryam Bagel exited in 2019, when she lost her re-election bid due to what she described as ganging up against her from the grassroots. She ended up being appointed commissioner by Governor Mohammed. 

In 2019, the State Governor Bala Mohammed confirmed the situation when he said that it took him a tough time to get one female to be his commissioner for women affairs and child development. Mohammed lamented how stakeholders in every local government opposed relinquishing their slot to a woman. He said that it took him extra efforts to convince stakeholders in Itas/Gadau LGA before allowing Hajara Gidado – the then only Commissioner and youngest among the State Executive Council. 

In the 2023 elections, no woman emerged winner of any elective position in Bauchi State. There were 303 candidates across 16 political parties for the Bauchi State Assembly but only six of them were females. None of them was elected, although many blame this on the major political parties – APC, PDP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for not sponsoring any female candidate. 

Only Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) sponsored one candidate each with Labour Party (LP) presenting two candidates – totalling six. 

Political analysts believe that cultural and religious beliefs contributed to the decline of women in politics particularly in a state where religion plays a major role in the recruitment of leaders. According to them, male politicians believe they know and can solve the problems facing women by giving some petty trade skill acquisitions and empowerment programmes while women believe that they know how to fight for their rights better than their male counterparts. 

‘Cultural Inhibition, Gender Discrimination, Fund Played Against Us’

A female candidate of the Labour Party for the Bogoro Constituency, Sophia Sarauta Damina, is disappointed that women’s voice is not heard in the business of lawmaking in Bauchi.

Sophia, a candidate from one of the Christian-dominated LGA said the gender differences played out against her. She said that only women gave her most of the support. 

“One of the things that inspired me to contest that seat was the situation of our people in the area. I realised that there is a need for change. They need that person to make them independent –particularly women and youths. How can they be relevant out there and create opportunities for them to explore? Especially women, if you look at it everything is in the hands of women. I’m looking at how these women can be independent and attain their potential. If a woman is empowered, be sure that the whole family is a beneficiary. 

“Talking about the youths, yes many of them are educated but they end up leaving for greener pastures. I believe if I’m given the opportunity to represent them at the Assembly I will work with youths and give them the opportunity.”

Sophia lamented further that if women could wake up and stop the unprofitable support given to the men politicians who abandoned them after the electioneering period, the nation would be restructured. “I’m very sure that if women speak in one voice that they want a female governor, it is achievable because women form the large chunk of voters in every election. Then, what have they got for that? Nothing.”

Sophia observed that many women are afraid of stepping forward to contest for positions of leadership because of cultural inhibition. “Many women are afraid because of the cultures of the society –a woman is not supposed to come out and mingle with men. That doctrine has to be put aside in their minds. One of the challenges we are facing in the North is; that if a woman is going into politics they see her as irresponsible. When going for campaigns and party meetings they wonder what kind of woman does that. 

“Imagine 31 lawmakers and no single woman, why? Are there no capable women to make law in Bauchi? Go to the polling units and most of the voters are women. If we are voting based on gender, women will emerge in all positions because 90 percent of the voters are women,” she said.

Another candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Lere/Bula Constituency of Tafawa Balewa, Sushi Habila Lumana told The Guardian that she contested where women are not accepted in any leadership position. She lamented how her party leadership tried to get rid of her during the day of election. 

Sharing her experience with The Guardian in 2019 after exit from the Assembly, the then lone woman in the House, said that she had a lot of disappointments as well. “As the only female lawmaker, most of my colleagues see me as their sister –protecting me from a lot of things. But in other ways, some of them saw me as being in a place I shouldn’t belong, while some of them saw me as someone they can put somewhere and control like their daughters and dictate what to do or what shouldn’t be done. They refused to see a woman as a lawmaker; they refused to see me as a woman who was equally elected as them. They chose to see me as their daughters and their wives they can push around. And that is why I call it a bittersweet experience.”

No Woman Contested Any Seat In The House, Says APC
The Chairman of APC in the State, Babayo Aliyu Misau blamed the absence of women in the House on lack of interest on the part of women. He said “none of the purchased forms in our party or did they complain about that?” According to him, women have been given fair deal in the party.

Meanwhile, the situation has forced the lawmakers to appoint a man, Hon Mohammed Wamzam, to head the Chairman Committee on Women Affairs. However, the speaker of the House, Abubakar Suleiman has been a voice for the women of the state. Abubakar has always stepped down from his seat to sponsor bills and motions on the issues of women development in the State.