Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections, women political leaders have raised concerns that the delegate selection process in parties could undermine their chances of securing leadership positions.

They decried the situation during the opening of the North East Women in Political Parties Summit, organised by LEADTOTS Development Initiative with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), held in Gombe State.

The women leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Yobe State, Hauwa Gana Ibrahim, expressed concern that women were underrepresented as delegates within political parties.

According to her, the underrepresentation often leads to men being favoured during primary elections.

The women suggested a new law that would require party executives to contest for delegate positions rather than automatically emerging as delegates, to protect women.

“Number one problem women have is that all the political parties have to go for primaries and women have a minimum of delegates. And this new law that the last assembly have brought, has given more challenge to the women because even those who are in the executive in the parties are no longer delegates,” Ibrahim said.

Rifkatu Maxwell, Head of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Voter Education and Publicity, Gombe State, also highlighted that the delegate selection process favoured men in primary elections.

“The delegates’ selection process in political parties favours men, and most of the delegates participating in primary elections are men, which makes them often choose men over women,” Rifkatu said.

She urged women to rally behind female candidates in the 2027 elections, even if they belonged to different parties.

This is as she advised women to form alliances or coalitions in the 2027 elections to secure better representation in governance, citing the example of the opposition merger that led to their victory in the 2023 presidential election.

A women activist from Gombe State, Halima Mahdi, re-echoed the sentiments, saying that the lack of women delegates made them unable to field parties’ tickets and advised the summit to change it in the North East by 2027 through mobilising women.

Earlier, the Executive Director of LEADTOTS Development Initiative, Nicholas Oshojah Afeso, emphasised that women’s leadership was essential for the region’s progress, stating that they had what it took to lead.