With less than two years to the 2027 general elections, Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon.Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, has called for a nationwide women’s movement to rally behind female candidates.
The Commissioner who made the call on Thursday in a statement shortly after the 9th Voice of Women Conference and Awards in Abuja, warned that the fight for women inclusion should not wait till the election season.
Adeleye speaking during the Fireside Chat session with the theme “Breaking Barriers through the Power of Community”, emphasized that women must rediscover their historic collective strength to shift Nigeria’s political landscape.
“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,” she said.
The commissioner positioned economic empowerment as the foundation for political participation, noting that women with resources are better equipped to navigate Nigeria’s money-driven political terrain.
“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 explained.
She 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.
The Commissioner added that affinity groups also assisted women in pooling resources, accessing farmland, and providing leadership training , so as to prepare women to back candidates in local elections.
“We saw in the last local government election women coming together saying, ‘this is the person we want you to support,’” she recalled.
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.
Rejecting a common stereotype, the commissioner pushed back against the notion that women fail to support one another.
“I told the men, stop coming to us to say women are their own enemies. For one woman who is not supporting me, I have 10 women who are supporting me,” she said
The solidarity among women according to her, is already reshaping political dynamics.
Adeleye attributed her success in over 30 years experience in politics and public service, to humility, mentorship and service to humanity
She cautioned against selfish leadership, saying: “Some women ride on the back of other women to get positions. When they get there, they forget those women. I want to see twenty more women uplifted, even if in lesser positions, so they can speak for us.”
She also urged collaboration between urban and rural women, insisting that bridging divides will strengthen women’s influence ahead of 2027.
“One cannot rise without the other. We need urban women, even those not contesting, to support rural women and those beginning their journey.
Mentorship and community-building are critical,” she stressed.
Looking ahead, the commissioner warned that time is short and women must act immediately.
“The journey starts now. We do not have two years. We talk only near elections and then go to sleep. There must be sustainable conversations spanning years,” she said.
Urging women to mobilize in their communities, she concluded: “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.”
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