Political Parties and Women Participation in Nigeria: A Study of Bauchi State

Abstract

In today's world, political parties play a vital role in producing leaders and facilitating people's
participation in politics, particularly in indirect democracies. For almost thirty years, Nigeria has
enjoyed consistent democratic rule since the start of the fourth republic in 1999. Political parties
have gradually become a crucial factor in determining who gets what, when, and how. Despite
women and youths making up over 75% of the voting population in Nigeria, women's numerical
strength has not translated to their inclusion and participation in the democratic space. This study
aims to investigate political parties and women's involvement in politics, with a specific focus on
Bauchi State. The study is survey research that obtained qualitative data through interviews with
key party officials and women leaders across the state's twenty Local Governments. The study
chose samples randomly from the two dominant political parties, the All-Progressive Congress
(APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as they are the only two parties present in all Local
Governments in the state. The Participatory Theory served as the theoretical framework. The
study discovered that, out of the twenty Local Government Areas, only one woman held an
Assistant Treasurer position in Ningi Local Government under PDP, while the Executive
Committees in APC and PDP were all men except for women leaders. The State and Senatorial
Zonal Executive Committees were also all men except for women leaders. Women were given
lower rates of party interest forms compared to men, and political party meetings were often held
at night, discouraging women from participating in politics. The study recommends increasing
political education among women and encouraging them to engage in political party activities.
Moreover, there should be laws that prevent political parties from holding meetings at night, as
all government meetings are held during the day. The study concludes that women need to
engage in party activities to receive more appointments in political positions and governance in
Bauchi State and Nigeria as a whole, as the spoils of war are shared among the generals.