Politics

Women In Politics: 17 Lawmakers Who Will Shape 10th NASS

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2023

After keenly fought National Assembly contests across 98 senatorial zones and 325 federal constituencies on February 25, only 17 women are left standing.

No fewer than 92 women fought for 109 senatorial seats and 288 women contested for the 360 House of Representatives seats. There were 1101 senatorial candidates and 3,122 House of Representatives flagbearers in all.

So far, 11 senatorial and 35 House of Representatives slots are yet to be occupied due to inconclusive polls that will be conducted on March 18, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Unless women win more seats on Saturday during the 46 polls, only 17 of them will be in the 10th National Assembly made up of three senators and 14 Reps.

While none of the eight serving female senators will be in the 10th Senate, seven of the 14 female Reps are returning legislators.

The number of those elected is a great setback for women representations in the Senate where they had eight slots in the 9th Senate but a slight improvement of in the House of Representatives where figure increased from 13 to 14.

As it is, with 17 women, 2023 marks the worst outing for women since 1999 when 16 women (three senators and 13 Reps) served in the National Assembly. The best outing for women, so far, was in 2007 (see table) when 36 women (9 senators, 27 Reps) made it to both chambers.

Attempt to provide 111 special seats for women in the National Assembly to bridge the wide gender gap in the federal legislature failed as a bill proposed to that effect was not voted on during the last constitutional amendments.

Currently, women’s representation in Nigeria’s parliament is among the lowest in the world. The overall national average for women participation is around 6 per cent for elective and appointive positions which is below the West African sub regional average of 15 per cent. Nigeria ranks 32 out of 35 sub-Saharan countries when it comes to representation of women in politics.

Dwindling fortunes of women in NASS

1999 (4th Assembly): 3 Senators, 13 Reps

2003 (5th Assembly): 4 Senators, 21Reps

2007 (6th Assembly): 9 Senators, 27 Reps

2015 (8th Assembly): 7 Senators, 22 Reps

2019 (9th Assembly): 8 Senators, 13 Reps

2023 (10th Assembly): 3 Senators, 14 Reps

Senators-elect

*Banigo Ipalibo Harry, PDP, Rivers West

*Ireti Heebah Kingibe, LP, FCT, Abuja

*Adebule Idiat Oluranti, APC, Lagos West

House of Reps

*Nnabuife Chinwe Clara, YPP, Orumba North/Orumba South, Anambra *Orogbu Obiageli, LP, Awka North/Awka South , Anambra

*Gwacham Maureen Chime, APGA, Oyi/Ayamelum, Anambra

*Regina Akume, APC, Gboko/Tarka, Benue

*Ibori-Suenu Erhiatake, PDP, Ethiope East/Ethiope West, Delta

*Fatima Talba, APC, Nangre/Potiskum, Yobe

*Onuh Onyeche Blessing, APC, Otukpo/Ohimini Benue

*Zainab Gimba, APC, Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge, Borno

*Beni Butmak Lar, PDP, Lantang North/Lantang South, Plateau

*Goodhead Boma, PDP, Akuku Toru/Asari Toru, Rivers

*Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim, APC, Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa, Yobe

*Onuoha Miriam Odinaka, APC, Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, Imo *Adewunmi Ariyomi Onanuga, APC, Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North, Ogun KingibeIreti, wife of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and 1993 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, was born on June 2, 1954. Ireti, who is also the younger sister of Ajoke Mohammed, the wife of former Head of State, Major General Murtala Muhammed, won the sole Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja sole seat.

She was educated at Queens College, Lagos; Washington Irving High School, and the University of Minnesota, United States, where she bagged a degree in Civil Engineering.

The Senator-elect worked as a quality control engineer at the Bradley Precast Concrete Inc from 1978 to 1979/ Ireti was project supervisor for the Directorate of Works at the Nigerian Air Force station in Ikeja, Lagos between 1981 and 1982, after completing the mandatory one-year national youth service.

She joined the Minnesota Department of Transportation Design unit, where she worked as an engineer between 1979 and 1991.

She entered partisan politics in 1991 when she joined the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). She was appointed as the adviser to the party’s national chairman.

Ipalibo

Dr Ipalibo, the medical doctor-turn-politician is the deputy governor of Rivers State. Born to the Harry family of Obuama in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State on December 20, 1952, she is the first female deputy governor of Rivers State and has been in the saddle since May 29, 2015.

Ipalibo was schooled in Queens College, Yaba, Lagos between 1964 and 1968 and returned to the same school between 1969 and 1970 for a high school result.

Thereafter, she proceeded to the University of Ibadan and obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and qualified as a medical doctor in 1976.

Adebule

Born on November 27, 1970, at Alaworo in Ojo Local Government area of Lagos State, Dr Adebule is a writer, educationist, and a politician. The lecturer-turn politician served as the 15th deputy governor of Lagos state and the sixth woman to occupy the office from 2015 to 2019.

She began her working career as an academic at Lagos State College of Primary Education, LACOPED, Noforija, Epe as a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies and later transferred her service to the Lagos State University as a lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Studies and later Language Arts and Social Studies in the Faculty of Education.

Her political sojourn started with an appointment as a commissioner 1 in the Lagos State Post Primary Teaching Service Commission (PP-TESCOM), now Teachers’ Establishment and Pensions Office, by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from October 2000 to February 2005 and later as board member of the Lagos State Scholarship Board from February 2005 to November 2005.

She was appointed Secretary to the State Government by the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola in July 2011. She was elected as deputy governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2015.

Lilian Orogbu

Professor Lilian Orogbu, a lecturer in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, won the Awka North and South federal constituency of Anambra State on the platform of the LP.

Professor Orogbu, Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe, is a Professor of Strategic Human Resource Management. The accomplished administrator has served in many capacities in the university including being head of the Department of Business Administration.

The returning officer of INEC, Mr Uche Nriagu, declared the Labour Party candidate, Lilian Orogbu winner with 29,629 votes, defeating her closest rival, Obi Nwankwo, who got 18,081 votes.

Khadija Bukar Abba

Khadija Bukar Abba is a four-time member of the House of Representatives, representing Damaturu, Gujba, Gulani and Tarmuwa federal constituency of Yobe State. She is returning for the fifth time. She was first elected in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. Abba has also served as commissioner for transport and energy, Yobe State, as well as minister of state for Foreign Affairs under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Regina Akume

Regina Akume is the wife of Senator George Akume, a former two-term governor of Benue State, and current Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs and Special Duties.
Blessing Onuh

Onuh Onyechi Blessing is the daughter of former Senate President David Mark.

Beni Lar

Beni Lar is the daughter of late foremost politician , Second Republic Governor of Plateau State, and first National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Solomon Lar.
She has served in various committees of the House of Representatives such as Women Affairs and Human Rights.
Ibori-Suenu

Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu is the daughter of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori. She won the Ethiope Federal Constituency of Delta State on the platform of the PDP. She was elected after scoring 20,814 votes, while her closest rival, Halims Agoda of the APC, got 15,172 votes.
VANGUARD

Politics

Two PDP, LP Reps Dump Parties For APC

Published

16 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) on Tuesday lost one lawmaker each in the House of Representatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors — Hon. Peter Akpanke and Hon. Paul Nnamchi — formally announced their switch during plenary, with their defection letters read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Akpanke, who was elected on the PDP platform, represents Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwara Federal Constituency of Cross River State. Nnamchi, elected under the LP, represents Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu State.

Both lawmakers attributed their defections to internal crises within their former parties and their desire to support and align with the policies and programmes of the APC-led Federal Government.

Their decision was greeted with applause by APC members in the chamber, as Speaker Abbas congratulated the duo on their new political move.

Politics

JUST IN: SDP Suspends National Chairman Gabam, Auditor, Youth Leader

Published

18 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approved the immediate suspension of the National Chairman of the Party, Shehu Gabam, along with two members of the National Working Committee (NWC), Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Chukwuma Uchechukwu, National Youth Leader, over allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of party funds.

Their suspension was contained in a statement issued and made available to Vanguard by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba.

It reads, “The decision followed resolutions made by members of the National Working Committee (NWC), where overwhelming evidences were presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorized financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and movement of funds from the party’s accounts without any approvals of the NWC.

“This development first came to light when it was discovered that the National Chairman had sent an unauthorised Financial Statement to INEC as demanded from all political parties.

“A summary of the fraudulent account was also published in the Newspapers. When the NWC got to know this, it made a resolution to report the fraudulent abnormalities to law enforcement agencies.

“The action of the NWC to suspend the National Chairman and two members of the NWC involved in the gross financial misconduct will also demonstrate to the general public that the Party, generally esteemed by Nigerians as a disciplined party and a credible alternative political platform for national redemption has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.”

According to Aiyenigba, “The decision to suspend the National Chairman and other implicated NWC members is to allow for a thorough, investigation. Our integrity as a political party must be upheld at all times,” the statement read.

“An interim investigative panel has been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend further disciplinary or legal actions.

“In the interim, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar has assumed leadership of the party as Acting National Chairman as per the provisions of the Constitution of the party.”

Aiyenigba alleged that “the misappropriated funds amount to hundreds of millions of naira, including donations and resources realised from the sales of nomination forms in the 2023 general elections and other funds from the party accounts.

“The suspension of these officers has been communicated to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and all relevant agencies.”

He said that “the suspension of Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, Nze Nnadi Clarkson, and Uchechukwu Ogbonna Chukwuma takes immediate effect.”

Politics

Drama As PDP Staff Shut Offices, Reject Anyanwu’s Return

Published

20 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

In a dramatic fashion, management and staff of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Secretariat, yesterday shut their offices and staged a mass walkout in protest against Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s attempt to forcibly reclaim his position as national secretary.

The protest came after the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, appointed Setonji Koshodeo as acting National Secretary, an appointment the staff had earlier pledged to support.

According to multiple sources who spoke to Vanguard in Abuja, Anyanwu arrived at the party headquarters with suspected thugs and tried to take control of the national secretary’s office.

But staff members, determined not to recognise or work with him, quickly mobilised and vacated the premises, leaving Anyanwu stranded and visibly embarrassed.

One of the protesting staff members said: “Anyanwu and his people entered the building. It wasn’t just an attempt, they actually went straight into the national secretary’s office with some of his aides.”

As the standoff continued, the PDP secretariat remained deserted, with staff insisting they would not return until Anyanwu vacated the office.

The protest was a show of loyalty to the NWC. Back in May, the staff had publicly pledged to support the committee’s decision, insisting that Koshoedo’s appointment followed the party’s internal procedures.

Another source revealed that Anyanwu was later advised by his aides to leave quietly to avoid further humiliation.

“We had all left our offices and walked out in protest. That firm action led to his exit,” the source said.

Explaining further, the staff added: “When he realised the atmosphere was hostile and there was no one left to work with, apart from the few people he came with, his aides advised him to leave, rather than remain in such an awkward situation.”

The incident has triggered accusations within the party, with some staff alleging that Anyanwu is a ‘mole’ planted by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to cause chaos within the PDP, ahead of the 2027 elections.

Although unconfirmed, these allegations have added to growing tension within the party.

The walkout has raised fresh concerns about the PDP’s internal unity and its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

As the main opposition party, some fear its credibility could suffer if the leadership crisis is not quickly resolved.

The situation highlighted the growing factionalisation within the party and the challenge of staying united.

The PDP has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. Attempts to reach the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls to his phone.