- Patience Ofure-Key was the only female out of the 17 candidates who contested the recent Edo election
- Despite Ngozi Etiaba’s stint as governor for three months, no lady has ever been elected as governor
- TheRadar spotlights the women who have braved the odds to contest governorship elections in Nigeria
The participation of women in Nigerian politics is low in comparison with their male counterparts.
However, some notable women have defied the odds, participating in politics to contribute a positive change in society.
Surprisingly, out of the many female governorship aspirants in Nigeria, only one woman has been able to occupy the governorship seat while many women have emerged victorious in the position of deputy governor for states.
The only woman to have emerged as a state governor is Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba CON. She served as the Governor of Anambra, a state in South-Eastern Nigeria, from November 2006 to February 2007.
She took the position when Peter Obi was impeached by the state legislature for alleged gross misconduct. However, she transferred her powers back to Obi three months later when an appeal court nullified the impeachment.
Patience Ofure-Key was the only female among Edo guber candidates
Recently, Patience Ofure-Key stood out as the only female out of the 17 candidates who vied for the governorship seat in the recently concluded election in Edo State, South-south Nigeria.
50-year-old Ofure-Key holds dual citizenship in Nigeria and the United States. She built a career in health, business, and philanthropy.
She has held several leadership positions, including as Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Chamber of Commerce in the USA. She represented the People's Redemption Party (PRP). However, she only presented to the electoral body her Senior Secondary School Certificate obtained from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Even though she did not later emerge as the governor of Edo State, she serves as a beacon of encouragement to other women to pursue their dreams and there is no limit to what they can do.
Other female governorship aspirants in Nigeria
TheRadar provides a list of other 22 female governorship aspirants and the State they contested in Nigeria.
1. Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani) (Adamawa State)
She is notable for being the first woman to win a major party's governorship primary in Adamawa State, Aishatu Binani made headlines with her bid to become the first female governor in northern Nigeria. She contested for the position of Governor of Adamawa in 2023. She is a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC). She is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.
2. Gladys Johnson-Ogbuneke (Abia State)
She represented the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Abia State Gubernatorial election in 2023. She is a graduate of the College of Medicine of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she obtained her MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery).
3. Lancaster Okoro (Abia State)
She represented the People's Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Abia State. Okoro is also a chartered accountant with a political ambition.
4. Ekanem Abasiekeme (Akwa-Ibom State)
She campaigned in 2023 under the Action Alliance Party (AAP) and is a graduate of Chemistry from the University of Uyo and founder of the Sengah Life Foundation. She was the first female candidate to represent AAP in a gubernatorial election.
5. Udoh Emem Monday (Akwa Ibom State)
She belongs to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). She is an expert in integrated reservoir modelling and an asset development strategist in Petroleum and Technical Reservoir Simulation. She contested for the Akwa-Ibom gubernatorial election in 2023.
6. Roseline Chenge (Benue State)
Ms Chenge is Northern Nigeria’s first female mechanical engineer. She is a member of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). She contested for election in Benue State on March 18, 2023.
7. Aondona Dabo-Adzuana (Benue State)
She is a member of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) who represented her party in the 2023 gubernatorial election. She is also a businesswoman and represented the Jachira Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007.
8. Fatima Abubakar (Borno State)
Abubakar was the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Borno State in 2023. She was the only female candidate in the election and was very optimistic about winning the election. During her governorship aspiration, she leveraged house-to-house campaigns. However, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum won the election by securing 85% of the votes after collation was concluded across the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
9. Onokiti Helen Agboola (Delta State)
Onokiti was the candidate for the Accord Party in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Delta State. She is also an entrepreneur.
10. Cosmas Annabel (Delta State)
An entrepreneur who obtained a Higher Diploma in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the University of Ibadan contested as the candidate of the All People’s Party (APP) in the South-south state. She emerged as the 2023 governorship candidate of APP in Delta at its primary election unopposed.
11. Yakubu Furera Ahmad (Kano State)
She is an entrepreneur who contested under the flag of the Boot Party (BP) for the governorship seat in 2023.
12. Mahmud Aisha (Kano State)
She contested as the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in Kano State.
13. Beatrice Itubo (Rivers State)
She was the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate for Rivers State in 2023. She has served as the Chairperson of Rivers State Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), former Chairperson of the Medical and Health Worker Union of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, former Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress in River State and pioneer Board Member of the Primary Healthcare Management Board.
14. Aduragbemi Euba (Oyo State)
She is an entrepreneur and fashion designer and was the gubernatorial candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Oyo State in 2023. Ms Euba is a graduate of International Relations from Lead City University, Ibadan. She also holds a diploma in Public Relations from Ogun State University, now Olabisi Onabanjo University, and a Diploma in Styling and Fashion from the London College of Fashion.
15. Funmilayo Kupoliyi (Lagos State)
She is an entrepreneur and graduate of Business Administration from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta. She represented the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as a governorship aspirant in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Lagos State.
17. Umar Binta Yahaya (Jigawa State)
Umar is an entrepreneur and founder of Mainstream Yahaya Academy. She holds a Diploma in Public Administration from Jigawa State Polytechnic and contested for the 2023 Jigawa State gubernatorial election.
18. Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya (Niger State)
She is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and is the first female governorship candidate in Niger’s 47 years of existence. Khadijah was a vice presidential candidate in 2019 under the Alliance for New Nigeria. She was the candidate for APGA in the 2023 gubernatorial election.
19. Jaiyeola Moturayo Deborah (Kwara State)
She is a member of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). She was the only female governorship candidate against 13 male contenders in the 2023 election conducted in Kwara State.
20. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan ( Kogi State)
A lawyer and social advocate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been a strong contender in Kogi politics, known for her advocacy for social justice and reforms. She contested in the 2019 Kogi State Gubernatorial Election which was held on November 16, 2019. She campaigned under the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
21. Pauline Tallen ( Plateau State)
She was a former deputy governor of Plateau State; Pauline Tallen contested for the governorship seat in 2011 under the Labour Party (LP). She has long been a strong advocate for women in politics.
22. Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan (Taraba State)
Al-Hassaan is popularly known as Mama Taraba. She was the gubernatorial candidate of APC in Taraba State for the 2015 Taraba State gubernatorial election. However, she was defeated in the election re-run held on April 25, 2015, by the PDP candidate Darius Ishaku, but on November 7, 2015, Ishaku was sacked by the tribunal and declared Alhassan winner of the April 11, 2015 poll. This was later reversed by the Appeal and Supreme Courts of Nigeria. She was later appointed as the Minister of Women Affairs of Nigeria by Erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Sheinbaum: 16 countries that have produced female presidents
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously reported the countries to have produced female presidents following the emergence of Claudia Sheinbaum as the first female president in Mexico.
Some of the 16 countries include Bangladesh, Uganda, Togo, New Zealand, France, India, Italy, Ethiopia, Hungary, Tanzania, Germany, Namibia, Peru and Barbados.
