On Saturday, voters in Anambra State will elect a new governor to lead the state for the next four years.
As residents prepare for the polls, one question remains: Will this election bring progress for women’s political participation, or reinforce familiar patterns of exclusion, especially since Anambra is the only state in Nigeria to have been governed by a woman, albeit in an interim capacity?
Virginia Etiaba is Nigeria’s first female governor, having assumed the role on 3 November 2006 following the impeachment of her principal, Peter Obi, by the Anambra State House of Assembly. Ms Etiaba, who was the state’s elected deputy governor, was sworn in and held the position until February 2007, when the judiciary reinstated Mr Obi.
Despite being known for education, enterprise, and cultural heritage, Anambra’s record on gender representation in politics tells a familiar Nigerian story — one of promise restrained by persistent barriers.
The po
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