Barely a week ago, the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated where lawmakers elected their presiding officers such as the Senatepresidency and House speakership.
No woman got any of the presiding offices, just as was the case during the ninth Assembly.
More troubling is the decline in the number of female lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly where, out of the 469 members, only 18 are women — three made it to the Senate and 15 in the House of Representatives
The Senate
Ipalibo Gogo Banigo
The 71-year-old former Rivers State Deputy Governor trained as a medical doctor, and now represents Rivers West Senatorial District in the Senate.
She held various important offices at the Rivers State Ministry of Health. During her service, she assumed the positions of Director of Public Health Services, Acting Commissioner, Director-General and Permanent Secretary, among others.
Idiat Oluranti Adebule
52-year-old Idiat Oluranti Adebule is the Senator representing Lagos West. She had also served as the deputy governor of Lagos State.
She studied Islamic Education at the Lagos State University, Ojo. She also holds a Master’s degree in curriculum studies and a Doctorate at the same institution in 2012.
Ireti Heebah Kingibe
Ireti is the former wife of a one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe.
69-year-old Ireti is the younger sister to Ajoke Mohammed, wife of a former Nigerian head of state, Murtala Muhammed.
She schooled in Queens College, Lagos, Washington Irving High School, and the University of Minnesota, United States, where she bagged a degree in Civil Engineering.
She entered partisan politics in 1990 when she joined the defunct Social Democratic Party.
She joined Labour Party in 2022 and became the party’s FCT Senatorial candidate for the 2023 senatorial election, having defeated the long-standing senator of FCT, Philip Aduda popularly referred to as Abuja landlord.
House of Reps
Regina Akume
Regina Akume was first lady of Benue State between 1999 and 2007; and is currently the lawmaker representing the Gboko/Tarka in Benue State.
She contested on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress beat the erstwhile incumbent, John Dyegh of the PDP.
Her husband, ex-Governor and ex-Senator George Akume is the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and a former Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs and Special Duties.
Blessing Onuh
Blessing Onuh, who won the Otukpo/Ohimini federal constituency of Benue State, is the daughter of former Senate President David Mark.
Onuh, a graduate of sociology at the University of Abuja, is currently studying Gender Studies for his PhD at the same institution.
She had served variously as Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Education, Special Assistant to the Minister of Inter-Governmental, Local Government and Special Duties; as well as Acting Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Beni Lar
Beni Lar is the eldest daughter of a former governor of Plateau State, Solomon Lar.
She defeated a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), to secure a record fifth term.
In 2007, she was elected to the House of Representatives and in 2008, she served as the House of Representatives Chair on Women’s Affairs. She represents the Langtang North and South constituency. She serves as Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights.
Maureen Chinwe Gwacham
Lady Maureen Chinwe Gwacham, candidate of the APGA, clinched the seat for the House of Representatives election for Oyi/Ayamelum federal constituency.
Gwacham scored a total of 15, 299 votes, defeating her rival in the YPP, Charles Uchenna Okafor, who polled 13,332.
Prof Lilian Orogbu
Prof Lilian Orogbu, a lecturer in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) won the Awka North and South federal constituency of Anambra State under the platform of the LP.
The returning officer of INEC, Mr Uche Nriagu, declared the Labour Party candidate, Lilian Orogbu winner with 29,629 votes, defeating her closest rival, Obi Nwankwo, who got 18,081 votes.
Khadija Bukar Abba
Khadija Bukar Abba is a four-time member of the House of Representatives, representing the Damaturu, Gujba, Gulani and Tarmuwa federal constituency of Yobe State. She is returning for the fifth time. She was first elected in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
She has also served as commissioner for transport and energy, in Yobe State. In 2016, she was minister of state for foreign affairs under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu
Ibori-Suenu is the daughter of former governor of Delta state, James Ibori.
She defeated the incumbent lawmaker, Ben Igbakpa, to secure the ticket to represent the Ethiope at the House of Representatives.
She is a graduate of Business Studies with Information Systems. Sheis the founder of The S.H.I. Mobile Free Clinics to train doctors in primary healthcare in Ethiope West Local Government Area.
Fatima Talba
Fatima Talba is the lawmaker representing the Nangere/Potiskum, Yobe state at the Green Chamber.
Talba clinched the seat having garnered a total of votes 36,407, defeating her rivals Adamu Abubakar Waziri of PDP who scored 36,097; Ali Yakubu NNPP 2,744, and Iliya Mohammed Maina Kaina of YPP 391 respectively.
Zainab Gimba
Zainab Gimba, PhD, was elected to the Nigerian House of Representatives as a candidate of the ruling party APC in the federal constituency of Bama/Ngala/Kala Balge constituency, Borno State.
Gimba holds a PhD in Public Administration and Policy Analysis
She is a former vice president of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and advocates for representation and maintenance of gender equality.
She served variously as Commissioner of Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment, Commissioner Borno State Universal Basic Education Board and was appointed as the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Water Resources Borno State.
Goodhead Boma
Boma Goodhead is the federal lawmaker representing Asari-Toru Federal Constituency in Rivers State. She is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Goodhead is the daughter of Melford Dokubo, a former high court judge; and a younger sister to Asari Dokubo.
Miriam Odinaka Onuoha
Onuoha is an experienced politician and a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and recently attempted to become Nigeria’s second female speaker after Patricia Etteh.
Prior to her election to the House in 2015, Onuoha served as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Bayelsa State on International Development Cooperation, among other previous political engagements.
She is Chairman, House Committee on Disabilities and Special Needs in the current House of Reps.
Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga
Oriyomi Onanuga currently serves as the Federal Representative representing Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North constituency of Ogun State on the ruling APC platform
As a first-term lawmaker in the ninth Assembly, she chaired the House Committee on Women’s Affairs and Social Development.
Clara Nnabuife
Nwabuife represents Orumba North and South at the House of Representatives under the Young Progressives Party in Anambra State.
She was in the private sector before her current political career, where she managed a property development outfit.
Obiageli Orogbu
Orogbu is the lawmaker representing the Awka North/Awka South , Anambra under the Labour Party.
She is a professor of Business Administration at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Tolulope Akande-Sadipe
Tolulope Akande-Sadipe represents Oluyole Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and the only female Federal lawmaker from Oyo State.
She was the chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora.
She graduated BSc Accounting from American University, Washington, DC, in 1987 and obtained a Master’s degree in International Business Management from Southeastern University, Washington, DC, in 1991.
She had worked in various capacities while in the US; and, under the late Abiola Ajimobi administration, Tolulope was appointed Special Adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on Projects in 2016; and also as Special adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on Projects and Bureau of Investment Promotions in 2017.
She was elected in 2019 to the House of Representatives, representing the Oluloye Federal Constituency of Ibadan, Oyo State on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
