The Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) has reviewed the composition of the 73-member Central Coordination Committee constituted for the 2026 National Convention of the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
Our assessment indicates that only three women are represented on the Committee, amounting to less than three percent of the total membership. This level of representation falls significantly short of the principles of gender equity, inclusion, and balanced participation expected in democratic political processes.
Women are not a marginal constituency in Nigeria’s political landscape. They constitute a substantial proportion of party supporters, voters, organisers, and mobilisers. Their continued under-representation in high-level party coordination and decision-making structures raises concerns about exclusion and missed opportunities for more inclusive and credible political outcomes.
WRAPA reiterates that women are not an addendum or only good for gender inclusion. Women’s inclusion is a democratic imperative and a key indicator of political legitimacy. Political parties, as gateways to political leadership, and bear a responsibility to model inclusion in both form and substance.
WRAPA therefore calls on the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Secretariat of the APC to take immediate and deliberate steps to address this imbalance, including:
- Reviewing committee compositions to ensure meaningful representation of women;
- Institutionalising gender-responsive guidelines for party appointments and coordination structures; and
- Demonstrating clear political will to advance gender equity and social inclusion within party processes.
As Nigeria prepares for future electoral and governance milestones, WRAPA remains committed to advocating for political systems that reflect the diversity, competence, and contributions of all citizens—women and men alike.
WRAPA calls on the APC National Working Committee and National Secretariat to urgently address this imbalance and take concrete steps to mainstream gender equity and social inclusion within party leadership and coordination mechanisms.
WRAPA urges the APC leadership and relevant party organs to align party practices with these obligations by adopting clear, enforceable standards for gender equity in appointments, leadership structures, and internal decision-making processes.
Gender inclusion is not optional. It is a democratic obligation and a critical pillar of sustainable governance.
