The Initiative for Research, Innovation, and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) and The Electoral Hub have warned that Nigeria’s democracy remains fragile due to persistent electoral irregularities, weak institutions, corruption, and the exclusion of women and youth from meaningful political participation.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Initiative for Research, Innovation, and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) and The Electoral Hub have warned that Nigeria’s democracy remains fragile due to persistent electoral irregularities, weak institutions, corruption, and the exclusion of women and youth from meaningful political participation.
In a statement to mark the 2025 International Day of Democracy, the Director, IRIAD-The Electoral Hub, Princess Hamman-Obels, stressed that while civilian rule has endured for over two decades, Nigeria’s democratic framework is undermined by vote-buying, poor electoral logistics, distrust in judicial adjudication, and governance failures that fuel public disillusionment.
”Of particular concern is the systemic underrepresentation of women in governance, despite women making up nearly half of the country’s population and 47.5% of registered voters in the 2023 general elections. Women currently hold less than 7% of elective and appointive positions nationwide, with just 3.7% in the Senate and 4.2% in the House of Representatives,”Hamman-Obels lamented.
Against this backdrop, she highlighted the urgency of passing the Special Seats Bill for Women, now before the National Assembly, as part of Nigeria’s constitutional review agenda. “The bill seeks to reserve additional elective seats exclusively for women in both federal and state legislatures. With a sunset clause of four election cycles, the proposal is intended as a corrective measure to dismantle entrenched barriers such as political party bias and cultural exclusion,” she elucidated.
The Human Activist argued that women’s representation is not only a matter of equity but is vital to strengthening policymaking in critical areas like health, education, welfare, and human rights. Passage of the bill, she added, would also align Nigeria with regional and global commitments to gender parity.
IRIAD’s call to action urged:
”The National Assembly to expedite constitutional reforms and ensure the bill’s passage through inclusive consultation.
”INEC and SIECs to deepen operational independence, voter education, and gender-sensitive electoral management.
”Political parties to reform candidate selection processes and eliminate practices that obstruct women’s participation.
”Security agencies to guarantee impartiality and secure political spaces.
”Civil society and the media to scale up civic education and accountability monitoring.
”Citizens to reject electoral bribery and violence while actively engaging in governance.
”The Executive and Judiciary to strengthen anti-corruption frameworks and safeguard impartial adjudication of electoral disputes.
“Democracy in Nigeria cannot deepen without addressing exclusion and rebuilding confidence in electoral processes. Passage of the Special Seats Bill would be a transformative step toward inclusive governance,” the statement noted.
IRIAD reaffirmed its commitment to advancing reforms that will ensure Nigeria’s democracy evolves into a system that is inclusive, accountable, and resilient.