Only 3 of 92 female candidates win senate bid 

Kowiyat Adepoju

Following the results of senate election announced so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 49 seats, maintaining its majority in the Senate.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Labour Party won six, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) each won two seats and the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) each won one seat.

However, of 92 females candidates, only three have been cleared as winners and they are to represent Lagos East, Rivers Central and the sole senate seat in the FCT. 

This is a regress from 2019 election were 17 women elected to seat in the senate

They are: Idiat Oluranti Adebule, under APC representing Lagos West who polled 361,296 to defeat Adewale Segun Sunday of the PDP who polled 248,653,  

Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo of PDP defeated Hon. Asita of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 

while Kingibe Ireti Habeebah of the Labour Party (LP) in FCT polled 202,175 to defeat Aduda  Philips Of PDP who polled 100,544, and Angulu Dobi of APC came third with 78,905 votes.

The results of Bayelsa Central, Cross River South, Kogi Central, which were contested by some females are not available at the moment.

This is a sharp decline from 2019 elections where out of 235 female candidates, 17 were elected to represent 6.4 percent of the lawmakers in the red chambers of the National Assembly.

But in 2023, the percentage of  female lawmakers in the same chamber has reduced to 2.75 percent with the result announced so far. 

Brief profile of the female senatorial candidates who won their bids

Banigo Ipalibo – PDP, Rivers West, is a Nigerian medical doctor and the first female Deputy Governor of Rivers State. She has held various important offices at the Rivers State Ministry of Health.

Idiat Oluranti Adebule – APC, Lagos West, a former Lagos state Deputy Governor between 2015 and 2019, and she’s also a lecturer at Lagos State University. 

 Ireti Habeebah kingibe – LP, FCT is the wife of Amb. Babagana Kingibe – a former Secretary to the Federal Government. Ireti Kingibe once worked at the New Nigeria Construction Company.