Nigeria Democracy: See some popular female politicians in Nigeria
Since Nigeria gained democracy in 1999, plenty of arguments have been ongoing about gender imbalance within the political sphere.
Women lament the existence of marginalization when it comes to getting political appointments or getting electoral positions, but many of them are still determined to hold their ground and make a household name for themselves.
However, this list provides answers to some of the alarming questions raised about Nigeria’s democracy and tolerant of women in politics.
Which women do you think shook the Nigerian political space?
These are the five female politicians in Nigeria…
Stella Oduah
Stella Oduah is a 58-year-old Nigerian Senator and former Minister of Aviation.
She has been actively involved in the political campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, as she serves as di campaign Director of Administration and Finance.
In the year 2015, Stella was elected to the Nigerian Senate to represent Anambra North Senatorial District. She was one of the only seven women to be elected to the 8th national assembly at that time.
Oduah got re-election to a second term in the Senate in 2019.
Aisha Alhassan
Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan AKA Mama Taraba is a 61-year-old Nigerian lawyer and the first woman to be appointed as Taraba State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Her political stronghold made the very first woman to be appointed as the Secretary FCT judicial council and later appointed as the Chief Registrar of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory,
2011, with 114,131 votes, the citizens of Taraba North elect Aisha to represent their constituency at the senate, under the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Alhassan contested the 2015 governorship elections to be elected as the 10th Governor of Taraba State under the Platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) which she lost the seat to Darius Ishaku.
She later become Minister of Women Affairs in the same year under the Buhari administration before she resigned in 2008 to decamp to United Democratic Party, UDP because she was disqualified from All Progressive Congress.
After she lost the governorship election, she moved to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. She is well known as “Mama Taraba”, because of her increased influence in politics in the state.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, A 58-year-old Nigerian politician who currently serves as the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
She is also a former member of the Nigeria Federal House of Representatives representing the Ikorodu Constituency in Lagos State.
She is the Chairman of the House Committee on Media & Publicity.
Abike Dabiri became popular through her journalism when she worked with Nigeria Television Authority whereas an anchor for the weekly NTA Newsline program with a particular interest in poverty and social justice-related issues.
When she served in the House of Reps, she sponsored a number of huge bills that were passed by the Parliament. Notable among them;
- Freedom of Information Bill
- A bill for an act to ensure full integration of Nigerians with physical disabilities and stop discrimination against them.
- The Nigerian Infant Health Welfare Bill
- Nigerian Diaspora Commission Bill among others.
Abike Dabiri’s role as the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora did put her in the international limelight and her name was always surfacing in the news as one of the most prominent politicians that lend their voice to change in the Nigerian political space.
Kema Chikwe
Kema is a 71-year-old Ambassador.
She successfully holds positions as the Minister for Transport, for Aviation, and Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB)
She currently holds the office of the National Woman Leader of the Nigerian political party Peoples Democratic Party which she number created opportunities for other young women to achieve their career and political ambitions.
The Peoples Democratic Party named Kema Chikwe, as one of the nine founding mothers of the Party in 2016,
She was appointed as Minister of Transport in June 1999 – 2001 and then of Aviation by President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2001 until May 2003.
In the year 2009, she became the Nigerian ambassador to Ireland.
Oby Ezekwesili
Oby Ezekwesili is a 57-year-old Nigerian politician, chartered accountant, and philanthropist.
She is the co-founder of Transparency International. She is known as one of the pioneer directors of the worldwide anti-corruption body that is based in Berlin, Germany.
She served as the Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and later as Federal Minister of Education during the second-term presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2003-2007.
After the termination of her appointment, she became the Vice-President of the World Bank, Africa division from May 2007 to May 2012.
2018, Ezekwesili was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in transparency for the extractive sector.
She organized a World Press Conference where she opened up about her rough Political journey as she campaigned for the office of the President of Nigeria under the political party Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).
Even though plenty of people got disappointed that she left the presidential race, expectations still were high that she will come back to change the face of politics in Nigeria.
In recent times, Nigeria has seen a sharp increase in women’s participation in politics even though kontra never doesn’t have any female governor or president but the determination of some of these women seems to tend towards breaking the strong barriers.
Gbemi Saraki (Kwara)
Gbemi Saraki is a former Senator that was elected to represent Kwara Central Senatorial district and she is also the sister of former Senate president, Bukola Saraki.
She attended the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom and got a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Pauline Tallen – (Plateau)
Pauline Tallen is the Former deputy governor of Plateau State in 2007 and the very first woman to be deputy governor for northern Nigeria.
In the year 1999, she became the Minister of State for science and technology during the time of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. She also contested to be governor of plateau state in 2011 but lost to Jonah Jang.
