The Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, has urged women nationwide to support female candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Adeleye emphasised that the fight for inclusion cannot wait until election season and must begin immediately.
She made the call at the 9th Voice of Women Conference and Awards held in Abuja on Thursday.
The commissioner who spoke during the Fireside Chat session themed ‘Breaking Barriers through the Power of Community’, stated that women must rediscover their historic collective strength to shift Nigeria’s political landscape.
She noted that women with resources are better able to navigate Nigeria’s money-driven political landscape, establishing economic empowerment as the cornerstone of political engagement.
“If a single woman could once gather all women to stop what she felt was unfair, that collective power has always been there. At some point, we lost it. We have to come together as one. Nobody can walk alone to achieve the desired goal of women.
“When women who couldn’t afford land to farm before have come together to get land and are making money, that economic empowerment is key.
“When you have money, politics is easier. Money is important,” she said.
Adeleye pointed to the Nigeria for Women Project, a World Bank-supported initiative piloted in Ogun State, as evidence of how grassroots mobilization can translate into political influence.
Through affinity groups, she said, women have pooled resources, accessed farmland, and trained in leadership, enabling them to back candidates in local elections.
Adeleye also addressed structural imbalances in Nigeria’s political system, arguing that equity — not just equality — is the pathway forward.
“There cannot be equality without equity. Men already have 95 percent of leadership. We must first talk about equity to catch up,” she declared, underscoring the need for deliberate policies to correct historical gender exclusion.
Dispelling a prevalent myth that women don’t help one another, the commissioner called for collaboration between urban and rural women, stressing that bridging gaps will increase women’s power before 2027.
“For every woman standing for election in your state, support her. If you are not contesting, support those who are. Women have the power, the tenacity, and the resilience to make it,” Adeleye stated.
2027: Ogun commissioner urges Nigerian women to support female candidates
