As the country prepares for another round of off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo States, attention is once again turning to historically marginalised groups.
The dismal outcomes in participation of women in the electoral process during the 2023 general elections remains a big cause for concern. Unfortunately, a similar trend was observed in the recent off-season elections in states like Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo, where the representation of women in the electoral process, especially as candidates contesting elections, was notably sparse.
This raises a pertinent question that resonates with the national consciousness: will the electoral processes and outcomes in Edo and Ondo States present the same trends of low women participation? To what extent is the peddling of misinformation and disinformation shaping the low participation of women in the electoral process?
These questions become relevant as election stakeholders countdown to the off-cycle polls in Edo and Ondo State.
Before 2024, how did the women of Edo and Ondo fare?
The political landscape in Edo and Ondo states is strikingly similar when it comes to the fortunes of women in leadership and politics. Notably, neither state has seen a woman elected to office as either a governor or a running mate to a male candidate.
However, it is worth noting that the year 2016 appears to have marked a pivotal moment in the trajectory of women’s political participation in both states. That year witnessed significant milestones that influenced the role of women in the political arena.
In Edo State, efforts were made to level the playing field for women within the political sphere. Notably, the All Progressives Congress (APC) that year, took a significant step by making the nomination form free for female aspirants, thereby removing a financial barrier that often hindered women from seeking political office.
This move led to a historic moment where, for the first time in the state, a woman contested alongside other aspirants for the gubernatorial ticket. Although she did not secure the ticket for her party, her candidature was viewed as a beacon of progress for women’s political representation in the state.
Similarly, in Ondo State, 2016 witnessed a notable milestone with the emergence of the first female aspirant under the auspices of the APC, Jumoke Ajasin Aniwofoshe. Despite her participation, she did not emerge victorious in the party’s primary election. Nonetheless, this represented a significant step towards breaking gender barriers and promoting women’s active involvement in the political process in Ondo State.
In the gubernatorial elections of 2020, the political landscape in Edo and Ondo states showcased varying degrees of women’s participation.
In Edo State, out of the 14 gubernatorial candidates, two were women. Abel Oboh of the ADC and Agol Ebun Tracy of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) stood out as notable female contenders. Additionally, two of the deputy governorship candidates were women, signalling a significant presence of women in key positions within the electoral landscape.
Meanwhile, in Ondo State, the political arena saw a familiar face from the 2016 elections vying for the gubernatorial ticket once again, competing alongside 10 other aspirants within the APC. However, despite her continued effort, she did not succeed in securing the party’s nomination. Although no woman emerged as a gubernatorial candidate from other political parties in Ondo State, three candidates from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Youth Progressives Party (YPP) had women as their running mates.
A view of 2024.
The upcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states, scheduled for October and November, respectively, have been anticipated with great interest. In Edo, the primaries have already been conducted, determining the flagbearers for the various political parties. However, in Ondo, the primaries are yet to take place.
In Edo State, despite the notable interest shown by women in the gubernatorial race, with five women indicating their intention to run for office, none of them emerged as candidates for their respective parties. Remarkably, three of these women were from the Labour Party.
Aisha Okojie-Odigie, one of the female aspirants under the Labour Party, encountered obstacles in pursuing her intention to contest in the gubernatorial race. She refrained from purchasing the expression of interest form, citing her decision as an act of solidarity with women. This decision stemmed from the Labour Party’s initial commitment to offering the expression of interest form free of charge for women. However, the party later reversed this decision and began selling the form, pricing it at ₦25 million for women and ₦30 million for men.
In a separate development, a female aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Omosode Igbinedion, decided to collapse her structure and throw her support behind Asue Ighodalo, a prominent aspirant, who later emerged as the flagbearer of the party.
As the preparations for the Ondo gubernatorial election unfold, the All Progressives Party (APC) has cleared a total of 16 aspirants who are eyeing the party’s ticket. Among these candidates are two women, Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo and Judith Folake Omogoroye, both engineers.
Funmilayo has made her interest in the governorship seat known since INEC announced the date of the election in both states, and for the longest time, she stood out as the lone female aspirant from the state. Judith Omogoroye’s interest became known some days before the APC screened its aspirants. She is said to have been involved in grass-roots politics.
Gender-based disinformation.
Although CDD War Room has not received reports or trends of disinformation targeting women, barriers no doubt exist and are constraining the participation of women. There are limited disinformation campaigns targeted at women in the off-cycle states, and this can be attributed to several factors.
Firstly, rigorous campaigns have yet to kick off, and the propaganda and information disorder associated with these campaign routines have not started.
In addition, there is the reality that women who have indicated interest in political leadership roles are not perceived as significant threats by their male counterparts or those within the political establishment.
This perception is likely to stem from entrenched biases and stereotypes regarding women’s capabilities and suitability for leadership positions. As a result, their ambitions may not be taken as seriously or accorded the same level of attention, attack, and support as their male counterparts.
Another intriguing dimension to the gender aspect of the political landscape, is the re-opening of a political grudge against the wife of the deceased former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu. This time, however, it resurfaced as a cautionary tale against one of the APC aspirants, Olusola Oke.
There are indications that identity driven issues, focusing on the ethnicity of one of his wives could become a major talking point in the electioneering period. This is precipitated by the circumstances surrounding the immediate past of the late governor of the state, whose wife was perceived to have controlled the apparatus of the state during the period of his indisposition.