By Juliet Onwurah
As political parties begin positioning for Nigeria’s 2027 general election, a new nationwide survey is urging them to look inward, arguing that the biggest barrier to electing more women, young people and persons with disabilities is not voter bias but the parties’ own candidate selection processes.
The findings, released in Abuja by a civic tech organisation Invictus Africa, challenges a long-standing narrative that Nigerians are unwilling to vote for candidates from underrepresented groups.
Instead, the Voters’ Preference Survey (VPS), series used by the organisation revealed that many Nigerians are prepared to support such candidates if they are given the opportunity to contest and receive adequate public visibility during election campaigns.
The survey conducted among 11,196 eligible voters across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, examined voting patterns, public perceptions and electoral intentions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the presentation, Executive Director of Invictus Africa, Bukky Shonibare, said the findings call for a fundamental shift in how political inclusion is discussed.
“The conversation should no longer be whether Nigerians are willing to vote for women, young people and persons with disabilities. The real question is whether these groups are being given a fair chance to emerge as candidates.”
According to the report, 64.4 per cent of respondents said they would vote for a woman in the next general election, while 74.3 per cent expressed willingness to support a young candidate.
Support for persons with disabilities also increased significantly, with 38.7 per cent saying they would vote for such a candidate, compared with 8.7 per cent who said they had done so in previous elections.
However, the survey found that awareness remains a major challenge. “More than half (51.1 per cent) of respondents who had never voted for a woman said they had not seen a female candidate on the ballot”.
“Among those who had never voted for a young candidate, 79.9 per cent said they were unaware that any young person was contesting, while 61.3 per cent said they did not know a candidate with a disability had appeared on the ballot”.
Shonibare said the findings suggest that political parties, campaign structures and public awareness efforts have a greater influence on electoral outcomes than previously acknowledged.
“Are political parties nominating these candidates in sufficient numbers? Are they receiving campaign resources and media visibility? Those are the questions this survey now raises.”
She also cautioned that voter intention should not be mistaken for actual voting behaviour. “It is one thing to express willingness to vote for a woman or a person with disability. It is another thing to cast that vote when you get to the polling unit.”
Beyond identity, respondents consistently ranked competence as their most important consideration.
The survey found that qualifications, integrity and a proven record of public service weighed more heavily in voters’ decisions than gender, age or disability status.
Another notable finding was that support declined as the level of office increased. Respondents were more willing to elect women to legislative positions than executive offices, with support highest for the House of Representatives and lowest for the presidency.
The report also points to growing public interest in the 2027 elections, with 74.9 per cent of respondents saying they are certain to vote.
The Head of Research at Invictus Africa, Gabriel Mobuogwu, said the survey fills a gap in Nigeria’s electoral research by focusing on the perspectives of voters rather than political elites.
He noted that women account for nearly half of Nigeria’s population and registered voters, young people constitute the country’s largest voting bloc, and persons with disabilities are estimated at about 35 million, yet all three groups remain significantly underrepresented in elective offices.
According to him, the evidence points to structural barriers rather than public resistance.
“Nigerians are open to voting for women, youths and persons with disabilities. What matters now is whether political parties and other stakeholders create the opportunity for them to appear on the ballot.”
The report recommends that political parties adopt more inclusive nomination processes, while electoral institutions, civil society organisations and the media increase efforts to improve candidate visibility and voter awareness before the 2027 elections.
Invictus Africa however, promised to conduct a post-election survey after the 2027 general election to assess whether voters’ stated intentions translated into actual voting behaviour.
