Following the conclusion of the 2023 presidential and National assembly elections held on 25 February 2023 and early hours of February 26 2023, the Gender and Election Watch, an initiative of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund has commended the resilience of Nigerian women for the massive turnout in the election. The women in their various capacities as voters, candidates and poll officials were recognized for their keen interest in the affairs of the nation through the elections noting that Women’s participation in democratic processes is critical to achieving an inclusive democracy emphasizing the need for women need to improve on their turn out in electoral processes.

NWTF GEW had deployed 400 accredited observers across Adamawa, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, and Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory who had observed from the gender lens noted that the elections were largely peaceful. Observation of the election showed that pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly and Persons with Disabilities were accorded priority to perform their civic responsibilities.

While the GEW commends the Independent National Electoral Commission for the use of new technologies in the election, the executive director of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund Mufuliat Fijabi noted the need for thorough evaluation and preparedness for future elections to avoid irregularities as observed in some polling units experiencing delays with the BVAS and untimely upload of results on the IREV as this could mar an electoral process causing a setback for Nigeria’s democracy.

The presence of security agencies at polling units was commended while the GEW further encouraged the agencies to ensure measures are put in place to forestall pockets of violence & intimidation in future elections and to ensure the full persecution of perpetrators of electoral violence with the full application of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, (2015) on all perpetrators of acts of violence to deter future occurrence ahead of the March 11 elections and future elections.

Esther Alaribe
Women Radio 91.7
news@wfm917.com