As Nigerians go to the polls today to elect governors and legislators, a group of human rights organizations working under the auspices of Women Group Cohort called for the idea of “one woman, one vote” on Friday.

They urged all parties involved to protect and support women’s rights to political participation, as well as their freedoms of assembly, association, opinion, and speech, particularly for the 1,500 women running for the House of Assembly and the 24 others running for governor.

While the House of Assembly election will be held in 36 States of the federation, the WCG said that it would be sending 400 observers to monitor the election, which is scheduled to take place in 28 States.

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The WCG demanded that stakeholders “avoid election-related violence, as the country prepares to go to the elections on Saturday, March 18, 2023” in a statement by the Executive Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.

“As lead-women coalitions, we emphasize the principle of “one woman, one vote” and the significance of fostering an environment for peaceful and inclusive elections that will fulfill Nigerians’ aspirations while we frown against all forms of transactional politics, whether vote buying or selling,” she said.