The Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has reiterated the need for ideology-driven political parties in Nigeria, even as he threw his weight behind the proposed Special Seats Bill to boost women’s representation in governance.
Dickson made the call in Abuja while receiving members of the Women Collective Hub, led by its Founder, Nkoyo Toyo, during a courtesy visit focused on advancing women’s political inclusion and ongoing constitutional reform efforts.
He said women’s participation remains critical to building a stable and inclusive democracy, stressing that Nigeria needs political parties that can stand the test of time and address the interests of all citizens, including women, youths and vulnerable groups.
The former governor commended Toyo for her decades-long advocacy, noting that the struggle for women’s inclusion is not only about gender equality but also about improving governance and national development.
He, however, observed that commitments to women’s participation by political parties often fail to translate into real opportunities.
According to him, deliberate mechanisms are required to address the imbalance in political representation, describing the Special Seats Bill as an important step towards increasing women’s presence in legislative bodies.
Dickson identified economic challenges, limited access to political resources, cultural barriers and entrenched power structures as key factors hindering women’s participation in politics, adding that affirmative action remains necessary to bridge the gap.
Earlier, Toyo said advocacy for women’s political inclusion in Nigeria has been ongoing for over three decades and should not be seen as a recent development.
She recalled sustained engagement with political leaders, civil society organisations and constitutional reform processes since the 1990s, but lamented that women’s representation in elective offices remains low despite their achievements across various sectors.
Toyo described Nigeria’s less than four per cent female representation in the National Assembly as unacceptable, noting that the Special Seats Bill is one of the measures being promoted to correct the imbalance and ensure women’s voices are heard in decision-making.
Also speaking, the National Women Leader of the NDC, Dudu Manuga, said the party has adopted affirmative action policies to encourage more women to participate in politics.
She said the party is working to remove barriers such as lack of support, financial constraints and cultural limitations, while creating opportunities for women to emerge as candidates at all levels.
Manuga added that the NDC would focus on training, mentoring and empowering women aspirants, alongside ensuring transparent primaries and fair political processes.
Both parties, however, agreed to strengthen collaboration on advocacy, capacity building and legislative engagement to advance women’s political participation and improve gender inclusion in Nigeria’s governance system.
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