Senator Natasha Image by Henty Orji – Big H Studios, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In February 2025, Nigerian Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, detailing instances of unwelcome advances that have sparked a national discussion on the treatment of women in politics.
However, the Senate’s ethics committee dismissed her allegations, citing procedural violations and recommending a six-month suspension. As a result, Akpoti-Uduaghan was barred from her office, with her allowances and security provision also revoked on March 6, 2025.
Her suspension, occurring just before International Women’s Day, ignited backlash from women’s organizations, who view it as a punitive reaction to a woman brave enough to speak out against alleged misconduct.
In her social media statement, Akpoti-Uduaghan declared that her suspension undermines the very tenets of natural justice and fairness, vowing to continue advocating for her constituents as a Senator.
In another troubling incident, members of the Nigerian Air Force assaulted the headquarters of Ikeja Electric, which supplies electricity to Sub-Saharan Africa, after the company disconnected power to an Air Force facility due to unpaid bills.
According to reports from Arise News, uniformed officers invaded the premises, urgently demanding reconnection. During this confrontation, the CEO of Ikeja Electric, Folake Soetan, was reportedly assaulted and forcibly confined in a vehicle.
These incidents have prompted denunciation from Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), which condemned the “violent siege” against Ikeja Electric and the intimidation faced by Folake Soetan.
Gender Disparities in Nigerian Politics
The underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political sphere is glaring. Since the advent of electoral democracy in 1999, only 157 women have secured election to the National Assembly, including just 38 in the Senate and 119 in the House of Representatives, compared to 2,657 men during the same timeframe.
As reported by the Carnegie Endowment For International Peace, the 2023 general elections saw a 19 percent drop in female representation in the National Assembly. Currently, women occupy a mere three percent of Senate seats and four percent in the House of Representatives.
Upon taking office in May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu included only seven women among 46 ministers. A reshuffle later raised this number to 48, yet men still dominate, holding 41 positions (83.3 percent) to women’s seven (16.7 percent), far from the 35 percent target pledged during his campaign.
Past administrations have similarly fallen short of gender inclusivity targets: Former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed only six women out of 42 ministers initially and increased this to seven in his second term. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration saw 13 female ministers out of 41, while Olusegun Obasanjo began with just three, later increasing to nine.
The Senate even rejected a proposal in July 2017 to amend the Constitution for a 35 percent quota for women in federal and state cabinets, highlighting systemic resistance to gender equity.
Despite Nigeria’s ratification of the Maputo Protocol and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), female representation in the National Assembly remains alarmingly low.
Currently, women hold just four out of 109 Senate seats (2.7 percent) and 17 out of 360 House seats (4.7 percent), culminating in an overall representation of only 4.2 percent in the 469-member National Assembly.
This places Nigeria among the lowest globally for female political representation, which is especially concerning as the country seeks a leadership role in Africa, particularly in comparison to nations like South Africa and Kenya that have made noticeable advancements in gender representation.
Historical Context and the Changing Role of Women
Historically, the political struggle of Nigerian women traces back to the colonial era, where they protested against policies that reinforced social and economic inequalities. Leaders like Alimotu Pelewura challenged price controls affecting market women, while Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti played a critical role in Nigeria’s independence movement, notably serving as the sole woman in the 1947 delegation to Britain advocating for self-governance.
Unfortunately, the legacy of female leadership has often been overshadowed, with societal narratives focusing on peripheral achievements rather than their profound contributions to social change.
The ongoing marginalization of women in leadership roles has roots in socio-political factors, notably colonial legacies that enforced patriarchal structures, thus constraining women’s political and economic engagement.
Comparative Analysis with Other African Nations
Ranked 125th out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap index and 29th in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria wrestles with persistent gender disparities in politics. Remarkably, eight of the ten lowest-ranked countries on the index are African, including Morocco, Niger, and Chad.
While Nigeria lags, other African nations such as Ghana elected its first female vice president in 2024, and Namibia heralded its first female president, highlighting progressive strides in gender representation.
In contrast, Nigeria, in 64 years of independence, has not yet seen a woman ascend to any of its top three executive or legislative positions. The highest political office held by a woman federal level remains that of Speaker of the House, temporarily held by Patricia Etteh in 2007.
Despite this disparity, the Global Gender Gap Index recognizes Nigeria as one of seven countries with equal gender representation in senior economic roles, showcasing the potential for change. Esteemed women like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Amina Mohammed exemplify the progress women can achieve in leadership roles outside of politics.
The suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is now under the microscope internationally, with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) involved and her call for intervention gaining traction.
Furthermore, former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili has urged the Nigerian Senate to rectify what she describes as the “unconstitutional suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan” in a public letter, emphasizing the need for accountability and justice.
*Urgent Letter To The Nigerian Senate to Correct Democratic Breaches and Injustice Against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan*
Now that many more Citizens have caught up on and collectively condemned the unacceptable behavior and Injustice perpetrated by @Senator_Akpabio… pic.twitter.com/lCLid0zPP6
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) March 10, 2025
A petition calling for Senate President Akpabio’s resignation for investigation has also gathered over 17,000 signatures, underscoring public support for Akpoti-Uduaghan.
As the global community acknowledges Women’s Month, Nigeria stands at a crossroads regarding its commitment to fostering gender inclusion in politics.
