Senate President Godswill Akpabio has offered a controversial explanation for the low success rate of women in Nigerian politics, saying that female politicians often lose elections because women themselves tend to vote for male candidates.
Akpabio made this remark on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from the European Union Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Mr. David McAllister, at the National Assembly in Abuja.
According to the Senate President, “women often vote for male candidates, making it difficult for female candidates to win elections.”
He expressed concern that despite women constituting nearly half of Nigeria’s voting population, their representation in elective positions remains alarmingly low. “Women constitute almost half of the electorate, yet their presence in government is still dismally low,” Akpabio lamented.
Currently, only four out of 109 senators and 17 out of 360 members of the House of Representatives are women — figures Akpabio described as “unacceptable.”
The Senate President called for collective efforts to bridge the gender gap in politics, assuring that the National Assembly is exploring “innovative measures and possible constitutional amendments” to promote gender inclusion and women’s participation in governance.
He further disclosed that the legislature is partnering with advocacy groups such as the Black Women’s Forum and other stakeholders to empower women seeking elective positions and ensure fair representation in leadership.
Akpabio, a long-time advocate of women’s empowerment, emphasized that “true democracy cannot thrive when half of the population remains underrepresented.”
He called on political parties, civil society organizations, and development partners to create more enabling environments for women to participate and succeed in politics, stressing that “Nigeria’s progress depends on the full inclusion of its women in governance.”
