Out of 109 Senate seats in the 10th National Assembly, only four are occupied by women, representing just 2.7% of the upper legislative chamber.
The remaining 105 seats are held by men, underscoring the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics.
This marks a decline from the 9th Senate, where eight women served (7.3%).
In the House of Representatives, however, female representation has slightly improved from 13 members (3.6%) in the previous Assembly to 17 (4.7%) in the current session.
In total, women now occupy only 4.2% of the 469 seats in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Despite seven general election cycles since 1999, female participation in the Senate remains disproportionately low.
Here’s a look at the four women currently serving in the 10th Senate:
1. Ireti Heebah Kingibe (Senator, FCT – Labour Party)
Ireti Kingibe represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Labour Party (LP). She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, USA.
Kingibe first contested the FCT senatorial seat in 2003 under the now-defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
Over the years, she switched political affiliations, joining the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and later the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014 before settling with the Labour Party.
Born on June 2, 1954, she is the younger sister of Ajoke Mohammed, wife of former Head of State Murtala Mohammed.
She was also married to Babagana Kingibe, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
2. Ipalibo Banigo (Senator, Rivers West – People’s Democratic Party)
Representing Rivers West on the PDP platform, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo made history as the first female Deputy Governor of Rivers State, serving from 2015 to 2023 under Governor Nyesom Wike.
She studied medicine at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where she earned her MBBS degree.
She later obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University.
Before entering politics, Banigo held several high-ranking positions in the Rivers State Ministry of Health, including Director of Public Health Services, Acting Commissioner, Director, and Permanent Secretary.
3. Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Senator, Lagos West – All Progressives Congress)
Idiat Adebule, representing Lagos West under the APC, served as Deputy Governor of Lagos State from 2015 to 2019.
An educationist, she holds a Doctorate degree in Curriculum Studies from Lagos State University.
She previously worked as a junior lecturer at the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education and Lagos State University.
Adebule also served as a Commissioner in the Lagos State Post Primary Teaching Service Commission (PP-TESCOM), now known as the Teachers’ Establishment and Pensions Office.
In 2011, she was appointed Secretary to the Lagos State Government by then-Governor Babatunde Fashola.
4. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Senator, Kogi Central – People’s Democratic Party)
A barrister and politician, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was elected in 2023 to represent Kogi Central in the Senate.
Born to a Nigerian father and a Ukrainian mother, she studied law at the University of Abuja before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School. She was called to the bar in 2005.
In 2012, she earned an MBA in Oil and Gas Management from the University of Dundee, Scotland.
Before venturing into politics, Akpoti-Uduaghan founded the Builders Hub Impact Investment Program (BHIIP).
She first contested the Kogi State gubernatorial election in 2019 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In February 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment in an interview with Arise News.
The Senate’s Ethics Committee, chaired by Akpabio, dismissed her claims, citing procedural violations.
On March 6, 2025, the Senate suspended her for six months, barring her from office and withdrawing her allowances and security privileges.
In response, she has filed a lawsuit against Akpabio, seeking ₦100 billion in damages.
