Women Exclusion in Nigerian Politics: A Historical Re-Evaluation

Abstract

The systemic exclusion of women and minority groups in Nigeria’s politics have contributed to the underdevelopment crisis in the country. Starting from the 1954 elections, the women remained underrepresented in both elective and appointive positions. At independence in 1960, the trend continued as the nationalists struggled to undo the damages of colonialism. It is regrettable to note, that, while the women played significant roles in the decolonization and nation-building process, however, their rights for equal representation were systemically undermined in a supposedly secular country where equality should be a fundamental principle shaping the society. Numerous studies in this field agree that women are potential asset in nation-building and as such must be given the opportunity to contribute to that process. This accounts for why women rank highest among the unemployed persons in the country, they are the least considered when distributing power or during allocation of political positions, and for more than fifty years in Nigeria, women have remained the most vulnerable in the country, often ranking highest in the poverty index annually. Based on the foregoing, the paper sought to critically re-evaluate the historical trajectories of women exclusion in Nigeria’s politics to reposition the women and minority groups as principal actors in the political development of the country. It argued that, the system of exclusive governance was not an indigenous idea, but a colonial legacy which took practical expression in the Indirect Rule policy of the British. Data used for this study were collected through the qualitative method, which allowed for the use of secondary and primary sources. Secondary data used include books and journal articles. While primary materials were gathered using newspapers, official memos, recorded interviews and videos. The combination of primary and secondary data provided a balanced analysis of the phenomenon being studied.  A theory of exclusion informed the theoretical argument of the paper, which holds that when individuals or groups in a society are denied their rights, it results to resistance, protests or conflicts that could potentially destabilize the nation.  Consequently, the paper found that Nigeria’s political development has continued to suffer unprecedented setback due largely for the failures of successive regimes to adopt inclusive governance, which supports equal participation in politics. It concluded that, the racial discrimination of the British colonial officials rubbed-off on Nigerian political class who could not revert to the morals that govern the traditional African society in the pre-colonial time; built on communal living and inclusiveness.