IWD: ADC reserves 40% party positions for women at all levels – Abdullahi

2026-03-08 - 14:07

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it has reserved 40 per cent of the party’s positions for women across all structures, to reaffirm its commitment to gender inclusion and leadership participation. This is contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD), issued in Abuja on Sunday. Abdullahi said the ADC recognised women as partners in nation-building, noting that across Nigeria, women shoulder enormous responsibilities within homes, communities, and workplaces. According to him, any political movement genuinely committed to national progress must recognise, empower, and harness the strength, resilience, and leadership potential of women. He stated that the composition of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) reflects a deliberate commitment to ensuring women are not pushed to political margins. “This is because we are the only political party in Nigeria whose constitution reserves 40 per cent of all party positions, at every level, for women,” Abdullahi stated. He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to women’s inclusion in politics, insisting that women must move from the margins to the center of leadership. Abdullahi noted that Nigerian women carry a disproportionate share of the nation’s social and economic responsibilities but remain significantly underrepresented in key national institutions. He maintained that empowering women politically and economically remains essential to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and ensuring inclusive governance for sustainable national development. “As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark International Women’s Day, the ADC celebrates all Nigerian women, whose labour and leadership sustain the nation. “From mothers raising communities to entrepreneurs powering markets and teachers educating children, Nigerian women carry a disproportionate share of the nation’s burdens. “Yet when critical decisions about Nigeria’s future are taken, women remain significantly underrepresented in positions of leadership across several national institutions,” the spokesman noted. According to him, the ADC is determined to change the narrative by ensuring women are fully integrated into the party’s leadership structure. “In the ADC, women are leaders. They are part of the structures that guide the party and shape its decisions,” Abdullahi added. Vanguard News