Gender parity in elected office would be ensured via a constitutional amendment, according to INEC.

The head of the INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, has stated that affirmative action backed by explicit legal provisions is the best way to guarantee that women and other marginalised groups are better represented in legislative assemblies and elective positions.

He asserted that this necessitates revising portions of the Electoral Act of 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

On Wednesday, he made the remarks while attending an advocacy visit to Abuja organised by the Women’s Collectively Forum on Women’s Participation and Representation in Elective Positions and Party Leadership.

According to Yakubu, INEC is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in carrying out its many duties as an election management body.

Regarding the voting procedure, we have a gender policy that is reviewed and modified on a regular basis. Additionally, he announced the creation of a Department of Gender and Inclusivity to work towards the goal of increasing voting participation among historically under-represented and marginalised communities.

According to Yakubu, INEC frequently urges political parties to increase the number of members from under-represented groups holding positions of leadership within their respective parties.

“Although there is still a lot of work to be done, many of them have responded positively,” he continued.

For Yakubu, achieving female parity in elected office necessitates revising some provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution from 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act of 2022.

Therefore, we can participate in the continuing examination of the Electoral Act and the Constitution to encourage our legislators to take the necessary steps to amend them.

To everyone’s relief, the issue is once again being considered by lawmakers. We voted in favour of the amendment to increase the number of women serving in elective office during our retreat earlier this year with other members of the Senate and House Committee on Electoral Matters.