Mrs Jonathan, Gov Diri Disagree Over Women in Politics
Last update: March 5, 2026
Disclaimer: This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. We only recommend products or services that we personally use and believe will add value to our readers. Your support is appreciated!
Mrs Jonathan calls for law backing 35% affirmative action for women in governance...
Former First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan, has called for legislative backing for the 35 per cent affirmative action for women in governance, stressing that it should be backed by law to ensure sustainability.
She made the call at the Pan Niger Delta Forum women conference in Yenagoa while responding to remarks by Governor Douye Diri, who argued that women should not demand special treatment but should instead be fully integrated into political structures.
Diri had said that women in developed countries such as Britain and the United States do not operate under special parliamentary seats and urged Nigerian women to push for equal participation rather than preferential arrangements.
He acknowledged women’s contributions to governance and noted his efforts to appoint more women into key positions in Bayelsa State, though he admitted electoral outcomes had limited representation.
However, Patience Jonathan insisted that affirmative action must be backed by legislation to prevent future administrations from reversing progress.
“We don’t want inclusion for women in governance, it will appear that government is doing the women favour; any government can come into power tomorrow and stop the inclusion, we want it as a law. The Special Seats Bill is currently before the National Assembly,” she said.
She argued that in several countries, including Angola, the 35 per cent representation benchmark is guaranteed, adding that Nigeria must adopt a legal framework to ensure implementation.
“We are not practicing what developed countries are doing; the system they are advocating is working smoothly elsewhere, but in Nigeria it is not like that,” she stated.
CBI News reports that Jonathan also urged women across political parties to unite and speak with one voice, emphasising that political parties serve as gateways to power and must institutionalise mandatory representation for women within their structures.
“In various positions in the political parties, there should be 35 per cent positions for women… If we are not part of the foundation, we cannot be part of the future,” she added.
