The African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned what the party calls ‘sexist jokes and coded language’ towards its candidate in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship elections, Comrade Chioma Ifemeludike.

The AAC, on Wednesday, in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Femi Adeyeye, said the National Working Committee (NEC) of the party had observed how Comrade Ifemeludike, a vibrant and ideologically-clear woman, is being judged by her outfit choice and physical features, rather than the quality of her ideas.

“We are not surprised by the unleashing of these backward ideas as we know that they are what the society has allowed over the years, and crushing these ideas is the reason our party was established,” the statement read.

Adeyeye said the conversation around the appearance of the party’s gubernatorial candidate exposes how deeply patriarchy still shapes Nigeria’s political culture.

He lamented that instead of engaging with her plans for governance, some people have chosen to police her looks.

“The sexist jokes remain condemned but are not surprising because even the National Assembly, a supposed model of national representation, has become a house of sexist jokes,” Adeyeye said.

“Examples of such show of shame are when Bianca Ojukwu appeared before the Senate for confirmation as Minister and the unpleasant treatment of Senator Natasha Akpoti. Unlike your conventional parties, we don’t ‘Akpabio’ women in our party.”

He added that it is an unfortunate fact that women in politics face double the scrutiny: they must prove their competence while also meeting society’s constantly shifting expectations of “acceptable” femininity and womanhood.

According to him, this isn’t just unfair; it’s also a distraction from the real issues that matter.

“When we reduce a female candidate to her body or her clothing, we silence her vision and reinforce the message that women’s worth is tied to their physical appearance, not ability,” Adeyeye said.

According to him, Nigeria, and indeed the world, deserves better, while calling on voters to reject the sexist jokes, the mockery, and the coded language that aim to shrink women out of political spaces.

The AAC National Publicity Secretary stated that the future we want in Nigeria is one where leaders are judged by their policies, not their looks; their work ethic, not their wardrobe, because supporting women in politics isn’t charity, it’s democracy in its truest form.

Also, the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Omoyele Sowore, lent his voice to condemn the criticism that trailed Ifemeludike.

He wrote on X, “It is profoundly disappointing that chauvinists are disparaging the @AACparty’s gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State, Chioma Grace Ifemeludike @ife_dike, is an exemplary young woman whose groundbreaking ideas and remarkable intelligence they cannot equal, and are instead directing their criticisms at her appearance rather than engaging with the content of her character and intellectual capabilities. Vote Chioma for Governor of Anambra State!” (The Guardian)