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A coalition of female political leaders and gender-equity advocates under the aegis of the Network of Women in Politics (NWP) has appealed to Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to urgently intervene in what it described as the “systematic political elimination” of female representation within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East.
In a strongly worded press statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the group condemned the outcome of the recent APC primary election in Imo State, alleging that the process which denied the return ticket of Miriam Odinaka Onuoha was heavily compromised, non-transparent and orchestrated to suppress women in politics.
The Network stated that the development amounted to a direct affront to the long-standing advocacy of the First Lady for greater inclusion of women in governance and politics.
According to the group, Princess Onuoha, who currently represents Okigwe North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on TETFUND, had distinguished herself as one of the most active and loyal female lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly.
The organisation alleged that despite recent warnings by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against the deliberate marginalisation of women and youths during the 2026 party primaries, political actors in Imo State allegedly pursued what it termed a “female decapitation strategy” aimed at reducing the already limited number of women in elective positions.
The statement argued that the situation contradicted the President’s call for fairness and inclusivity within the ruling party and threatened ongoing efforts to improve female political participation in the South-East.
The Network further expressed confidence that Senator Tinubu, whom it described as a long-standing advocate for women’s political emancipation, would not remain silent while “a loyal APC amazon and grassroots mobiliser” was allegedly sidelined through questionable political manoeuvres.
The group subsequently called on the National Working Committee of the APC to immediately suspend the ratification of the Okigwe North Federal Constituency primary results pending a comprehensive review.
It also urged the party’s National Primary Appeals Committee, reportedly chaired by Tuoyo Omatstuli, to investigate allegations of delegate intimidation, procedural violations and irregularities said to have characterised the primary election exercise conducted in Owerri over the weekend.
In addition, the coalition demanded either an administrative review of the exercise or a fresh rerun of the primary to guarantee what it described as a level playing field for all aspirants.
The Network warned that allowing the outcome to stand could further weaken female political representation in the South-East and undermine ongoing campaigns for gender inclusion within Nigeria’s democratic system.
Reaffirming its support for Princess Onuoha, the group declared that it would continue to resist what it termed efforts to “forcefully extinguish the political lights of South-East women.”
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