•Pushes for reserved seats for women

By BISI EZEKIEL

The re-election of Hajia Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim, as the Deputy National Woman Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC does not come as a surprise to many political observers in the country.

Going by her antecedent, the ruling APC could be said to be lucky in having her elected to complement the efforts of the National Woman Leader in guarding the interest of the womenfolk in the country and Nigerian women at large.

The highly politically exposed Hajiya Ibrahim was recently elected the Deputy National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

Hajia Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim, has been at the fore- front of agitation for women inclusiveness in politics and raising a loud voice calling for the creation of reserved legislative seats for women.

To her, this is expedient to end the long-standing exclusion of women from political decision-making in Nigeria.

Hajiya Ibrahim decried the persistent marginalisation of women in politics, highlighting the structural barriers that have kept them from meaningful participation.

“Politics is a game of numbers. Without representation, women’s voices are not heard. This situation is unacceptable in a modern democracy,” Mrs Ibrahim, who is also the Deputy National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said.

She pointed out that women currently hold only four of 109 Senate seats and 17 of 360 House of Representatives seats. In roughly 13 states, women have no representation at all in state Houses of Assembly.

According to her, these figures underscore a systemic exclusion that has kept women away from decision-making tables for decades.

To address this imbalance, she advocated constitutional amendments reserving one Senate seat and one House of Representatives seat per state exclusively for women candidates.

Ibrahim argued that women bring unique perspectives to governance, particularly in social welfare, education, and community development.

She warned that without deliberate inclusion, Nigerian democracy remains skewed, and national development continues to be hampered by the absence of women in leadership.

Hajiya Ibrahim said she would use her IPAC position to push for inclusive governance, promote electoral integrity, and actively engage political parties and lawmakers on the urgent need for reserved seats for women.

She urged the National Assembly to act swiftly, framing the proposal as a matter of justice, equity, and the future of Nigerian democracy.