Aunty Zee Emerges First Female IPAC National Deputy Chairman

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has elected Zainab Ibrahim, popularly known as Aunty Zee, as its first female Deputy National Chairman, a development widely seen as a significant boost for gender inclusion in Nigeria's political space.

Taraba born Ibrahim, who also serves as the Deputy National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said she emerged from the IPAC national executive election held on December 8, 2024, at the council's national secretariat in Garki, Abuja.

The election was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Briefing journalists on Wednesday, Ibrahim described her emergence as historic, noting that it marked the first time a woman has been elected to the position of Deputy National Chairman of IPAC.

"This is the first time a woman has been elected into this position. It shows that IPAC is leading the way in promoting inclusive governance," she said.

She attributed her emergence to a recent gender-balancing provision in the IPAC constitution, which mandates a male-female pairing in leadership positions. The arrangement, popularly referred to as the "twinning formula" or "zebra system," ensures that any male office holder is paired with a female deputy and vice versa.

According to her, the revised constitution now guarantees at least two women in the IPAC executive, a sharp departure from what she described as years of zero gender inclusion.

"On election day, the positions of Deputy National Chairman and Deputy National Secretary were reserved exclusively for women to contest. As a result, IPAC now has three women in its executive leadership," Ibrahim said.

She noted that IPAC, as the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, plays a critical role in fostering inter-party dialogue and deepening democratic practices in the country.

Ibrahim expressed optimism that her position within the ruling APC would further strengthen IPAC's effectiveness.

"I belong to the ruling party, and that gives me an edge. IPAC will benefit immensely from my position," she said, pledging to promote dialogue, electoral integrity, inclusivity and internal democracy across party lines.