Ms Jennifer Agbaji, a 2027 senatorial candidate under the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Kaduna State has said that high cost of politics remains a barrier to women’s participation in elective positions.
Agbaji, who is contesting for Kaduna North Senatorial District said the financial demands of political campaigns disproportionately disadvantaged women seeking elective offices.
She said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, while reacting to the low number of women on the list of candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest senatorial seats in 2027.
According to the final list released by INEC, women account for only 123 of the 1,303 candidates contesting the 109 senatorial seats nationwide, representing about 9.4 per cent of the total candidates.
Agbaji said the cost of consultations, party activities, mobilisation, transportation, communication and campaign materials could make political participation inaccessible to candidates without substantial financial resources.
She said women were particularly affected by limited access to political financing, established patronage networks and wealthy sponsors.
“When political participation becomes dependent on how much money a candidate can spend, we risk excluding capable people who do not have access to enormous financial resources,” she said.
Agbaji, a lawyer, development practitioner and humanitarian actor, said the financial challenges also reflected a broader political culture in which excessive spending was often perceived as necessary to win elections.
She said such a system risked sidelining competence, integrity, ideas and commitment to public service in favour of financial strength.
“Democracy should be a contest of ideas and public trust, not a competition of financial muscle. We cannot build a truly representative democracy if only those who can afford politics are allowed to determine our collective future,” she said.
The candidate also identified cultural beliefs questioning women’s leadership, political party structures favouring established male networks, intimidation and gender-based violence as factors contributing to women’s underrepresentation.
She said the low number of female candidates reflected systemic exclusion rather than a lack of capacity among women.
According to her, women possess the education, experience and competence required for leadership but often face barriers that prevent them from competing on equal terms with men.
Agbaji called for greater transparency in campaign financing, effective enforcement of existing electoral rules and affordable platforms through which candidates could communicate their manifestos to voters.
She also urged political parties to adopt clear gender-inclusion policies, make nomination processes transparent and provide meaningful support for female aspirants.
“Representation is not a favour to women; it is a democratic responsibility,” she said.
Agbaji said parties should ensure that women had fair opportunities to secure tickets, access leadership positions and participate in decision-making without discrimination or intimidation.
She added that women should not only be present at party meetings but should also be able to influence decisions and compete for positions of authority.
The candidate said one of her major challenges so far had been navigating a political environment in which financial resources, established networks and perceptions about who should lead could determine how seriously candidates were taken.
She said she had continued to engage communities, listen to their concerns, build relationships and communicate her vision for representation despite the challenges.
Agbaji said her ambition to join the Senate was driven by a commitment to justice, inclusion, human rights and governance that responded to citizens’ needs.
She said meaningful representation required ensuring that the interests and experiences of citizens informed the laws and policies governing them.
The candidate urged stakeholders to address structural barriers to women’s participation, saying that encouraging women to contest elections would not be sufficient without creating a fair environment for them to compete.
She said Nigeria needed a political system that allowed qualified citizens to participate meaningfully, regardless of gender or financial background.
(NAN)
