BY MARTIN EZE
ABUJA — A political advocacy coalition, the Network of Women in Politics (NWP), has appealed to Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to urgently intervene in what it described as an alleged attempt to diminish female political representation in the South-East following the controversial outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Imo State.
In a strongly worded press statement dated May 18, 2026, and jointly backed by gender-equity advocates, the group accused unnamed political actors within the state chapter of orchestrating the removal of Princess Miriam Odinaka Onuoha from securing a return ticket for the 2027 elections.
The organization described the development as a “coordinated and regressive assault” on women’s participation in politics and warned that it could reverse years of progress made in advancing female inclusion in elective offices.
According to the statement, the lawmaker, who represents Okigwe North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was allegedly “systematically engineered out of her return ticket through a heavily compromised and non-transparent process.”
The group further argued that the situation directly contradicts recent calls by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for political parties and stakeholders to avoid excluding women and youths during the ongoing primary election season.
“This Network recalls with clarity that just days ago, the leader of our party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, explicitly cautioned party stakeholders against the deliberate disenfranchisement of women and youths in the 2026 primary elections,” the statement said.
It added: “Despite these clear directives, chauvinistic local political actors in Imo State chose to enforce a systemic ‘female decapitation’ strategy, effectively reducing the already dwindling number of women voices in the green chamber.”
The Network also invoked the long-standing advocacy record of the First Lady, stating that Senator Oluremi Tinubu had spent years promoting the political advancement of women and would be expected to resist any action perceived as undermining that legacy.
The statement further read: “We know that Her Excellency will not sit idly by while a loyal APC amazon, a grassroots mobilizer, and the current Chairman of the House Committee on TETFUND is politically liquidated to satisfy the whims of local godfathers.”
As part of its demands, the organization called on the APC National Working Committee to suspend ratification of the Okigwe North Federal Constituency primary outcome pending review.
The coalition also urged the party’s appeals structures to investigate allegations of procedural irregularities, delegate intimidation and breaches said to have marred the exercise in Owerri.
Among its key requests, the group demanded either a full administrative review or a rerun of the process to ensure what it described as a fair and inclusive contest.
Political observers say the controversy could trigger wider debates over internal democracy and gender inclusion within party structures, especially as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify. The South-East has historically produced fewer female federal lawmakers compared to several other regions, making the outcome of party primaries particularly significant for representation.
If unresolved, analysts believe the dispute could deepen concerns over women’s political participation and potentially spark pressure campaigns from advocacy groups seeking stronger guarantees for female candidates across party lines.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official response from the APC national leadership, the Imo State chapter, or representatives of the First Lady regarding the allegations raised in the statement.
