Only three women were included among 76 persons listed to attend the inaugural meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, raising questions about women’s representation in strategic political decision-making ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the council’s headquarters in Abuja as the ruling party prepares to commence campaign activities for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
A review of the list of invitees reported by Premium Times showed that women accounted for only a small fraction of those listed for the meeting, which was expected to consider the party’s campaign calendar and pre2.3parations for its presidential campaign flag-off.
The meeting was convened ahead of the planned commencement of the party’s nationwide campaign activities, with the campaign council expected to coordinate mobilisation and other preparations for the forthcoming election.
The low number of women on the list raises questions about the extent to which women are being included in the political structures responsible for shaping campaign strategies, setting priorities and coordinating electoral mobilisation.
Women’s votes and political representation
The development comes amid growing calls for greater participation of women in Nigeria’s political process.
Women constitute a significant part of the electorate and play important roles in political mobilisation, community engagement and election campaigns. However, their numerical strength as voters does not automatically translate into equal representation in party leadership, candidate selection or decision-making structures.
As political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, the composition of campaign councils and other strategic bodies provides an opportunity to examine how women are represented in the processes that influence electoral priorities.
The issue also raises broader questions about whether women are being positioned to influence political decisions or are primarily expected to mobilise support for candidates and parties.
Greater representation of women in political leadership can provide opportunities for their perspectives and experiences to inform discussions on healthcare, education, economic empowerment, gender-based violence and other issues affecting women and families.
Calls for inclusive political participation
The reported composition of the APC campaign meeting also provides a basis for renewed engagement with political parties on gender inclusion.
Women politicians, gender advocates and civil society organisations have continued to call for measures that would improve women’s participation in political leadership and governance.
Such measures may include greater inclusion of women in campaign councils, party executive structures, candidate selection processes and other decision-making bodies.
For the APC, the immediate question is whether the limited number of women on the reported meeting list reflects the broader composition of its campaign leadership or the specific membership arrangements for the inaugural meeting.
Women News Today could not independently establish from the reported list whether additional women were represented in other campaign structures.
As Nigeria moves towards the 2027 elections, the extent to which political parties include women in strategic decision-making will remain an important measure of their commitment to gender inclusion.
Source: Premium Times report, October 20, 2026
Editorial note: The story reports the composition of the invitee list, not confirmed attendance at the meeting. Seek an APC response and verify the final list before publication.
