APC: WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?

Ronke Bello contends that women are being sidelined

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is the current ruling political party in Nigeria. Founded as a result of strategic merger of several opposition parties on February 6, 2013. The party with its historic unseating of an incumbent president in 2015, retaining the presidency with the election of Bola Tinubu in 2023, and for the fact of enjoying good leadership under the steady and experienced hands of politicians, technocrats and academics of good reputes, most recently the well respected and erudite Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda the current National Chairman, without doubt is far becoming one of Africa’s most formidable parties.

By design or default the APC has been able to draw into its fold even states earlier held by oppositions, a feat that has turned into an allegation from some quarters that the present Government is deliberately turning our beloved nation into a one party system. This allegation seems not to steer any hornet nest as the response from the ruling APC fold has been dismissive. One may ask, apart from providing good governance and tangible developments, isn’t the major aim of any political party to win more followership? Or is the party apart from its core duties meant to headhunt and recruit members for the oppositions? However it looks, is a topic for other forthcoming editions of The Currency of Hope.

While our great party has attempted to focus on governance, steer the ship of party steady and bring more members on board, the issue of gender balance sticks out like a sore thumb. Most recently Nigerians and indeed the global community where astound when the party again presented the all male Committee on Strategy, Conflict Resolution and Mobilization to the leader of the party and President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu for inauguration. This is actually another blow where none of all the women in professional and grass root sectors of the APC could be found worthy for such Committee.

While respectfully acknowledging the decisions and supremacy of the party, the Terms of Reference of this particular committee speaks volume, “Strategy, Conflict Resolution and Mobilization”.  So apart from the women of the party still being shortchanged in appointments, legislature duties, in states across the federation and the boring optics, the party believes that only men can strategize, resolve conflicts and mobilize? Very Interesting!

For the ruling party, the postmortem reports by several local and foreign observers of the last 2023 elections especially a paper by The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2023) should be an attention-grabbing note and it asserts that “while men have slightly more registered voters (around 52.5%) compared to women (around 47.5%) in Nigeria, studies and observations suggest women often show higher turnout and engagement in the actual act of voting, participating more actively in elections than men, despite their underrepresentation in political office. “

In all professions and activities while I do not believe that women need to crawl and beg for participation we shouldn’t be equally ignored. Talent, skill, capacity, brain has no gender. On record APC women in the last election went far and above all boundaries to get a win for the party. If the party now decides that women can’t serve in a good ratio in governance or party affairs then we should certainly and respectfully shouldn’t serve in any singing, clapping or whining of waists in future campaigns if that is the role the party envisages ahead for us.

APC as a great, bold, winning and enlightening party should by now be an enviable example of what an encompassing political party should be across Africa and the globe. In 2026 many nations across the world are led by women and even oppositions are led by women too.

Opposition parties even in Nigeria have found tangible roles for women as strategists, publicists , legal advisers, grass root mobilisers et al. Ours respectfully feel very comfortable with one gender and this on a lighter note reminds me of the 2023 elections when the APC was running helter-skelter looking for a woman that needed to urgently run into the TV stations to go head to head with a tough and well respected northern woman – activist who said our candidate couldn’t hold steady a cup of tea.

While one must recognize and praise some women in leadership and in the party that are constantly pushing for women beginning from Sen. Remi Tinubu our most respected First Lady who has been a huge flag bearer; Nigerian women still need to constantly drum it up to her so she won’t give up until Nigeria inches close or achieves her National Gender Policy (NGP) (2006) 35% affirmative action for women in governance. For now, a lot still needs to be done.

We must give kudos to Dr. Mary Idele Alile, the party women leader and Hajiya Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim the Deputy Women Leader who are equally pulling their weights with key initiatives centering on “ the twinning formula” that aims to position women as Deputy Governors/Chairpersons and advocating for reserved seats for Nigerian women in politics.

Recently also, in a chance meeting with Nigeria’s amiable Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, our engagement reveals her undeniable passion and conviction on gender empowerment, inclusion, equality, women’s rights, protecting vulnerable groups, and advancing women’s leadership in Nigeria, as embedded in the Renewed Hope Agenda is not just infectious but one that resonates with global practices. She is a good ambassador!

In the words of Hillary Clinton “There cannot be true democracy unless women’s voices are heard. There cannot be true democracy unless women are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own lives. There cannot be true democracy unless all citizens are able to participate fully in the lives of their country.”

The former President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in her own words further declares that “Our society needs women to be more numerous in decision-making positions and in entrepreneurial areas” and according to Melinda Gates,“In the developing world, it’s about time that women are on the agenda.”

As our great party marches forward with heads high towards the next general elections which we can’t take for granted and which should be won convincingly on the tracking and measurements of our policy formations and implementation especially as promised Nigerians, the party would fare better in a gender balancing act in which the oppositions on a keen preview are currently taking the lead, our party, the All Progressive Party cannot attempt to keep clapping with one hand.

Bello, Ph.D, is an academic, public policy analyst, publicist and author.