Nigerian women are urged by the Ogun Commissioner to back female candidates in 2027.

Adijat Adeleye, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Ogun State, has called on women across the country to vote for female candidates in the general elections scheduled for 2027.

Adeleye underlined that the fight for inclusion must start right away and cannot wait until election season.

At Thursday’s 9th Voice of Women Conference and Awards in Abuja, she made the call.

In order to change Nigeria’s political environment, the commissioner, who spoke at the Fireside Chat event with the topic “Breaking Barriers through the Power of Community,” said that women need to reclaim their historic collective strength.

She pointed out that economically empowered women are better equipped to negotiate Nigeria’s money-driven political system, making economic empowerment the primary tenet of political participation.

“That collective power has always existed if one woman was able to unite all women to halt what she saw to be unfair. We lost it at one point. We must unite as a single entity. No one can walk alone to fulfil women’s aspirations.

“Economic empowerment is crucial when women who previously couldn’t afford land to farm band together to acquire land and start earning money.

Having money makes politics easier. “Money matters,” she stated.

Adeleye cited the Nigeria for Women Project, a World Bank-backed program that was tested in Ogun State, as an example of how political influence may be generated from grassroots activism.

According to her, affinity organisations have allowed women to access farms, pool resources, and receive leadership training, which has allowed them to support candidates in local elections.

Adeleye also discussed the systemic inequalities in Nigeria’s political system, contending that the way ahead is equity rather than equality alone.

Without equity, equality is impossible. Ninety-five percent of leadership is already held by men. In order to catch up, we must first discuss equity,” she said, highlighting the necessity of intentional policy to address historical gender exclusion.

The commissioner emphasised that overcoming gaps will increase women’s influence before 2027 and urged cooperation between urban and rural women, dispelling the common misconception that women don’t support one another.

“Support all the women in your state who are running for office. Support those who are running for office if you are not. “Women possess the strength, perseverance, and fortitude to succeed,” Adeleye said.