Veteran politician and advocate, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has decried the increasingly harsh landscape for women contesting political office in Nigeria, declaring that it is now “extremely difficult” for women to win elections under current conditions.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News, the former presidential aide and one-time Senator from Cross River State said she had long opposed gender quotas in politics, believing in merit and individual capacity, but has since changed her position after witnessing the persistent barriers that continue to sideline competent women.
She said, “The women would have to contest the election, because if they don’t contest the election, they will not have a voice. And if it is just to select, I would not even talk about it, because somebody would just pick, put his hand in his pocket, and pick whoever he likes, which woman he likes to go and represent. But the good thing about this is that they’re going to contest the election. And also, it will be subject to review after, like, 16 years, that’s two election cycles, you understand? So, but because I’m being realistic, it is extremely, extremely difficult today for women to win election. Election process has become so terribly expensive.”
Ita-Giwa cited a number of obstacles — including violent political climates, the overbearing influence of money, and entrenched patriarchy — as reasons why most women are unable to gain meaningful traction during party primaries or general elections.
“Those in the Senate today, they are pioneers. Because somehow, in the course of my doing politics, I discovered that when men get very, very, very successful, and still want to go into Senate, maybe to protect their empire. So, you’ll be going for election against one billionaire. A poor woman, you understand, if you have your $100,000, the man has $1 billion to put in the election, because there are 40 electorates with too much money. So, the contest is too tough.”
Recounting her own difficult journey to office, she said the political culture in Nigeria is so deeply male-dominated and unforgiving that the man she defeated in her House of Representatives election in the 1990s still hasn’t forgiven her.
“The men prepare more when they are going to face women for election, because what will they go home to go and tell their wives that a woman beat me for an election? So, you know, they can’t fight it. Even when you win, they don’t forgive you. The man that I defeated 32 years ago, he has not forgiven me for beating him,” she said.
On the bill proposing reserved seats for women in the National Assembly, Ita-Giwa declared her full support — a reversal from her earlier stance — saying it is now necessary due to the difficult realities women face in open contests.
However, she emphasised that those reserved seats must still be contested, and not handed out by godfathers or political handlers.
The Cross River-born politician urged women to abandon the “nice girl” posture and embrace the fight, noting that the political terrain in Nigeria is too ruthless for women who hope to be politely included, saying, “I always advocated for women to go there and fight, because if you don’t fight for it, you don’t have a voice.”
“Do not be nice girls to these men,” she added, addressing women who want to go into politics and will be up against men.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
