Skip to main content

Beyond the 35% Ceiling: Empowering Women to Claim Their Rightful Place in Nigerian Politics


The 35% affirmation for Nigerian women in politics doesn't align with the Nigerian Constitution, which doesn't specify gender-based quotas for political positions.

If ministerial appointments were based on states, it's unclear which state would be compelled to bring a woman to meet the 35% quota. Similarly, if commissioners were appointed based on local governments or constituencies, it's uncertain which local government or constituency would be required to nominate only females.

The issue lies in the fact that these quotas can be seen as limitations rather than empowerment tools. Instead of relying on quotas, women should be able to compete and earn positions based on merit and ability.

Assuming 100 seats are available, with 100 men and 100 women competing, the 35% quota would reserve 35 seats for women and 65 for men. This creates an uneven playing field, where 65 women would be competing for 35 seats, while 35 men would be competing for 65 seats.

In reality, women's representation in the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives is less than 20%. However, women have shown significant voting power during elections, demonstrating their potential to compete and win more than 50% of the seats if they choose to do so.

It's time for women to take charge, utilizing their capabilities and competing based on merit rather than relying on quotas.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Silence is Not Golden: The Need for Accountability and Justice in Nigeria's Justice System for Sex-Related Crimes

Silence is Not Golden: The Need for Accountability and Justice in Nigeria's Justice System for Sex-Related Crimes By Dr. Bright Oniovokukor  In Nigeria's justice system, one area of criminality that has not received fair and objective attention is sex-related offenses. The challenge of providing evidence remains significant, and proving the facts is another obstacle. Despite having various laws in place to address these issues for many years, biases stemming from loud opinions, prejudice, nepotism, religion, and culture continue to hinder progress. This has perpetuated a culture of silence. When a woman who has been sexually harassed decides to speak up, some people, including some who claim to be gender advocates, argue that the timing and circumstances are not ideal. They have used this argument to criticize Senator Natasha, claiming she spoke out at the wrong time and place.  This raises questions:  When is enough enough?  Do offenders consider the time and locati...
Post a Comment
Read more

SENATOR OLUREMI TINUBU: THE "SWEET MOTHER" NORM IS A TRADITION OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION .......A WAKE-UP CALL AS STUDENTS' REACTION HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR CHANGE

Senator Oluremi Tinubu's recent visit to a school in Delta State took an unexpected turn, sparking concerns about her role as the First Lady of Nigeria. The drama unfolded when the MC welcomed her with a song, "Na Our Mama be dis" ("This is our mother"), but the students, mostly adult nurses-in-training, responded with "Na Your Mama be dis" ("This is your mother"), implying she was the MC's mother, not theirs.  When the MC mounted the stage, it's usually a norm for some women who are top personalities to be welcomed with a song, "Sweet Mother". This is a sign of respect and admiration for these women. However, some people have expressed the opinion that they can only call someone "Mother" if she is their biological mother or has played a motherly role in their lives. This sentiment was echoed in the unexpected response of the students during Senator Oluremi Tinubu's visit. This unexpected reaction raises questi...
Post a Comment
Read more

FALSE DIAGNOSIS OF TYPHOID MUST STOP IN NIGERIA!

In Nigeria, if you called in sick and couldn’t make it to work, it was probably because you had Malaria and Typhoid. Did I hear you say Typhoid? You have participated in Fraud! Let me shock you, the rate of Typhoid fever occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa based on existing studies is less than 1%, unlike malaria prevalence which currently stands above 60% in Nigeria. Yet, typhoid fever, a disease caused by Salmonella typhi and its paratyphi variant is being diagnosed on a daily basis and treated at an unprecedented rate in Nigeria. This situation has gotten so bad that almost every patient; male, female, young and old with febrile illness in Nigeria is treated for typhoid. At every turn, what you hear is: ‘I have just been diagnosed and treated for malaria and typhoid’ or ‘since I treated malaria and its not going I must definitely have typhoid. As a matter of fact, patients who believe they have these twin ailments will abandon doctors who refuse to treat the Typhoid component ...
15 comments
Read more