The African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned what it describes as sexist jokes and coded language targeting Chioma Ifemeludike, its governorship candidate in the forthcoming Anambra state election.
Ifemeludike and other candidates, including Chukwuma Soludo, the incumbent governor of the state, who is seeking re-election, will test their popularity at the poll on November 8.
However, the AAC candidate has faced a wave of reactions on social media since she posted pictures announcing her candidacy for the election.
In a statement on Wednesday, Femi Adeyeye, the party’s national publicity secretary, said the national working committee (NWC) observed that Ifemeludike is being judged more for her appearance and outfit choices than the substance of her ideas.
Adeyeye said the focus on Ifemeludike’s looks exposes the deep-rooted patriarchy that still shapes Nigeria’s political culture.
“Instead of engaging with her governance plans, some have chosen to police her appearance,” he said, condemning the sexist jokes and noted they are not surprising given the broader societal context.
He cited examples of sexism in Nigeria’s political institutions, including the treatment of Bianca Ojukwu during her ministerial confirmation and Nigerian senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s experiences.
“Unlike conventional parties, we don’t ‘Akpabio’ women in our party,” Adeyeye added, referring to the derogatory treatment of women in politics.
He said women in politics face double scrutiny, having to prove their competence while conforming to shifting societal expectations of femininity.
He called on voters to reject sexist mockery and coded language that seek to marginalise women in politics.
“Reducing a female candidate to her body or clothing silences her vision and reinforces the idea that women’s worth is tied to appearance, not ability,” he said.
“The future we want is one where leaders are judged by their policies and work ethic, not their looks or wardrobe. Supporting women in politics is not charity; it is democracy in its truest form.
“It is an unfortunate fact that women in politics face double the scrutiny: they must prove their competence while also meeting society’s constantly shifting expectations of “acceptable” femininity and womanhood.
“This isn’t just unfair. We consider it a distraction from the real issues that matter. When we reduce a female candidate to her body or her clothing, we silence her vision and reinforce the message that women’s worth is tied to their physical appearance, not ability.”
Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of AAC, also condemned the criticism of Ifemeludike.
He described her as an exemplary young woman whose intelligence and ideas are being overshadowed by attacks on her appearance.
“It is profoundly disappointing that chauvinists are disparaging the AAC gubernatorial candidate in Anambra state, Chioma Grace Ifemeludike who is an exemplary young woman whose groundbreaking ideas and remarkable intelligence they cannot equal, and are instead directing their criticisms at her appearance rather than engaging with the content of her character and intellectual capabilities,” Sowore wrote on X.
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