Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, has appealed to Nigerian women to rally behind female candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the 9th Voice of Women Conference and Awards in Abuja on Thursday, the 2nd of October, 2025, Adeleye stressed that women must not wait until campaigns begin before pushing for inclusion.
During a Fireside Chat session with the theme ‘Breaking Barriers through the Power of Community’, she urged women to revive their tradition of collective action to influence Nigeria’s political direction.
According to her, economic empowerment is central to achieving political relevance in a system dominated by money.
“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 highlighted the Nigeria for Women Project, a World Bank-backed initiative piloted in Ogun State, as proof that grassroots mobilization can empower women politically.
Through affinity groups, she explained, women have gained farmland, pooled resources, acquired leadership training, and supported candidates during local elections.
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She also pressed for structural reforms, arguing that equity must come before equality in Nigeria’s political system.
“There cannot be equality without equity. Men already have 95 percent of leadership. We must first talk about equity to catch up,” she declared.
Challenging the perception that women rarely support one another, the commissioner emphasized the importance of unity between rural and urban women to strengthen their influence before the 2027 polls.
“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,” she urged.