The Electoral Bill 2021, which aims to repeal the Electoral Act No 6 2010 and re-enact a new Act, is set to be passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday. However, the alleged final copy of the Bill has been manipulated and is at variance with the approved version of the Bill which represents citizens’ demands. Some key provisions of the manipulated Bill that are particularly worrying are:

• the prohibition of electronic transmission of results (Section 50(2));

• the removal of INEC’s power to review results declared under duress or in contravention of electoral laws and guidelines (Section 65); and

• the drastic increase in the limits for campaign expenses from N1 billion to N15 billion for President, N2 million to N5 billion for Governor, N40 million to N1.5 billion for Senate, N30 million to N500 million for House of Representatives, and N10 million to N50 million for State House of Assembly (Section 88).

These provisions have the potential to undermine transparency and fairness in elections. This affects women disproportionately for two main reasons:

1. Women rarely get the tickets for the ‘big parties’ and often their hope lies with the smaller parties.

2. Women typically have less financial resources than their male counterparts.

Regarding the issue of women relying on smaller parties, the 2019 general elections provide a good illustration as there was an increase in the number of women candidates compared to 2015, but a decrease in the number of women who actually got elected. According to a report by Center for Democracy and Development, one reason for this discrepancy is that many of the women candidates were contesting on the platform of smaller parties, which meant that they had less chances of winning. Increasing fairness and transparency in elections would reduce the disadvantage that larger parties have over smaller parties, and help to level the playing field. In turn, this should have an indirect effect on improving women’s chances of winning elections.

In order to improve the political representation of women, we therefore demand that the original provisions of the Electoral Bill 2021 be reinstated. INEC should be empowered to electronically transmit results and review results declared under duress so as to reduce the level of electoral malpractices that have become so common in our country. If the mainstream political parties and candidates are prevented from manipulating election results, smaller parties and women candidates will stand a better chance at winning elections.

Furthermore, the original limits on campaign expenses should be upheld to prevent elections being won by the highest bidder. This is particularly important for women who typically have less access to financial resources or sponsorship compared to their male counterparts.

Ultimately, our demands are intended to benefit not just women but also the country as a whole, since they are aimed at improving electoral integrity. We call on the National Assembly to address these demands as a matter of urgency and ensure that the original Bill, rather than the manipulated one, is passed on Tuesday, 6 July 2021.

We the undersigned organisations are members of the Feminist Womanifesto Group:

• 9jafeminista

• Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls

• Above Whispers Foundation

• Above Whispers Media Foundation

• Action Aid Nigeria

• ActionAid International

• ACTS Generation GBV

• Ade Grange Child Foundation

• ADEM Community & Human Development Foundation

• Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF)

• Advocate for Health and Development Initiative

• African Women&#39’s Initiative/ Verity CNET

• African Women’s Initiative (AWI)

• Ajegunle Community Project

• Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation

• Alliances for Africa (AfA)

• Aminchi Women Cooperative Society

• Amnesty International Nigeria

• ARDA Development Communication Inc.

• Arise Nigerian Woman Foundation.

• ASWHAN

• ATATA Development and Empowerment Foundation (ADEF)

• Ayisha Osori

• Baobab for Women’s Human Rights

• BLECCA Foundation

• Bring Back Our Girls

• Briskila Emefesi Women Foundation (BEWOF)

• Cece Yara Foundation

• Cedar Seed Foundation

• CEE-HOPE Nigeria

• Center for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities (CEEGA)

• Centre For Alternative Development and Self-Enhancement (CEADESE NG)

• Centre For Health and Development in Africa(CHEDA)

• Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)

• Centre For Peace Education and Community Development

• Centre For Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN)

• Change Managers International Network

• Charity Women Spring of Salvation

• Chedal Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society

• Child Care and Adult Protection Initiative (CCAPI)

• Choung-Dung Women Association.

• Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS)

• Christian Women in Nigerian Politics

• Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR)

• Community and Youth Development

• Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative (CEAPDI)

• Community Initiative for Healthy and Peaceful Society

• Community Life Project (CLP)

• Community Rescue Initiative (CRI)

• Community Women Initiatives

• Country Associates Network

• Courageous People Health and Development Initiative (CPHDL)

• Crestville Development Foundation

• Development in Practice Gender and Entrepreneurial Initiative (DIPGEI)

• Diaspora Womanifesto2019

• Dinidari Foundation

• Dorothy Njemanze Foundation

• Dream Alive Women and Orphans Support Foundation (DAWOS Foundation)

• Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives

• Edo Women&#39’s Development Initiative

• Education As A Vaccine (EVA)

• EiE Nigeria

• Emerge Women

• Empowerment and Action Research Centre

• Equality Through Education Foundation (ETEF)

• Equity Advocates (EA)

• Equity Advocates and The Woman Today Newspaper TWT

• Equity Advocates/ The Woman Today Newspaper

• FACICP Disability Plus

• FAME Foundation

• Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja

• Federal Ministry of Women Affairs

• Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON)

• Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN)

• Federation of Paralegal Network (FEDPAN)

• Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)

• Fembridge Development Initiative (FEDI)

• FIDA Nigeria

• First Future Leadership

• First Future Leadership Company/GTE

• FOMWAN

• Ford Foundation

• Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FACE-PAM)

• FRED

• Gender Action Awareness Trust

• Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN)

• Gender and Development Action (GADA)

• Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative(GERI)

• Gender Awareness Trust (GAT)

• Gender Development Initiative

• Gender Equality Center

• Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre

• Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre

• Gender Technical Unit (GTU)

• Girl Child Advocacy and Education Initiatives

• Girl Child Africa

• Girl Child Education, Care & Rehabilitation

• Girl Education Rehabilitation and Care (GERAC)

• Girls Power Initiative (GPI)

• Global Hope for Women and Children Foundation (GLOHWOC)

• Green Spring Development Initiative

• Habiba Dangana (Hadis) Foundation

• Heal Disability Initiative

• Health Education and Human Rights Advocacy Initiative

• Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria(HERFON)

• HEIR Women Development

• Help Initiative for Social Justice & Humanitarian Development

• Hope for New Life

• Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD)

• Inter Africa Committee (IAC)

• Inter Gender Peace Foundation

• International Action Network on Small Arms Women Network Of

• International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Nigeria)

• International Hairstylists, Barber and Body Therapists (IHSTOBAN)

• International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH)

• International Women Communication Centre

• Iyaniwura Children Care Foundation

• Jamatul Nasir Islam, Women Wing

• Jana Health Foundation

• Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

• Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC)

• Justice Development and Peace Mission (JDPM)

• K/Mashi Gamji Women

• Kebetkache Women Development and Resources Centre

• Kimpact Initiatives

• Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND)

• Kungiyar Tallafin Mata Development Initiative

• League of Queens International EmpowermentLeague of Women Voters of Nigeria NILOWV

• LEDAP

• Lift Initiative

• MBULA Women Association

• Media & Teens Network.

• Media Concern Initiative

• MODAC

• Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome

• More Women in Politics

• My Voice My Future NGO

• Nasrul – Lahi-L- Faith Society (NASFAT)

• National Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)

• National Centre for Women Development

• National Council of Women Societies (NCWS)

• NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women

• Neighbourhood Care -Well Foundation

• Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria, NRHJN

• Next Initiative for Gender Actions (NIGA)

• NGAS Women Farmers’ Cooperative Society

• Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)

• Nigeria For Women Project

• Nigeria Labour Congress, Women Committee

• Nigeria Union Of Teachers (NUT)

• Nigerian Express

• Nigerian Women Politics Forum

• Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NTWF)

• Ogayem Merciful Care and Support Initiatives (OMCSI)

• Ogun Women Alive

• Olive Community Development Initiatives

• Onomese Foundation

• Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)

• Osi Joe Touching Lives Initiative

• Ovie Brume Foundation

• Partners West Africa

• Peasant Dragnet

• Princess Hamman-Obels

• Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI)

• Project Alert on Violence Against Women

• Quinnipiac University

• Ray of Hope Community Foundation

• Relief Development Initiative Kaduna

• Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative

• Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative

• She Forum Africa

• Sheforshe Africa Initiative

• Shout Global Health

• Small-scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON)

• South- South Professional Women Association.

• Stand to End Rape (STER)

• Stephanie Peace Building Development Foundation

• Support for Needy Children and Women Initiative (SUNCHI)

• SWOFON National Abuja

• Taraba State University

• TechHerNG

• The Inclusion Project (TIP)

• The Priceless Jewels Foundation

• THR Media – HERFESSIONS INITIATIVE

• Tonia Bruised But Not Broken Foundation

• Transformation and Development Center (TDC)

• Transition Monitoring Group

• Tunde & Friends Foundation (TAFF)

• UC Women Commission

• UN Women

• Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI)

• Voice of Ogun Women (VOW)

• West African Network for Peace

• Widows Development Organization (WIDO)

• Woman-Being Concern Nigeria

• Women & Youth Awareness Empowerment Network (WOYAEN)

• Women Advocacy, HIV Prevention and Other Diseases (WAHPOD)

• Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)

• Women Aid Collective

• Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative

• Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)

• Women education advocacy and development Initiatives (WEADI)

• Women Empowerment and Initiative Development

• Women Empowerment and Reproductive Health Centre (WERHC)

• Women Empowerment Education and peace building Initiative (WEPBI)

• Women Environmental Programme

• Women Farmers Alliance

• Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative (WOPEGEE)

• Women for Women International

• Women Foundation Initiative

• Women Foundation of Nigeria (WFN)

• Women in Action for Positive Development and Gender Enhancement Center (WAPGADEC)

• Former Women Action Organization (WAO)

• Women in Africa Initiative

• Women in Agriculture

• Women in Mining

• Women in Politics Forum

• Women Information Network (WINET)

• Women Initiative for Democracy and Empowerment (WIDE)

• Women Law and Development Initiative (WOLDI)

• Women Law Development Center of Nigeria (WLDCN)

• Women Lead Agric

• Women League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

• Women of Vision Development Initiative

• Women Protection Organization (WOPO)

• Women Wing of The Christian Association Of Nigeria (WOWICAN)

• Women, Infants and Children Care Initiative (WICCI)

• Women, Youths and Children Advancement Program

• Women Aid Collective (WACOL)

• Women Optimum Development Foundation-WODEF

• Women Right to Education Programme (WREP)

• Women’s Crisis Centre Owerri

• Women’s Rights and Health Project

• Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP)

• Working Moms Africa

• Wumi Asubiaro Dada

• Yiaga Africa

• Youth Future Savers Initiative

• Zonta International Club of Lagos 1