Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, several women have made remarkable contributions to the country’s legislature as senators. These trailblazers have championed key issues such as education, healthcare, women’s rights, and youth empowerment, breaking barriers in a male-dominated political landscape.
Although female representation in the Senate remains relatively low, the impact of these women on governance, legislation, and advocacy has been significant. Below is a comprehensive list of 31 female senators who have served in Nigeria since 1999:
1. Stella Omu (Delta South, PDP)
Stella Unuezi Omu, born on December 22, 1946, was elected as a Senator in 1999 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). She served as the Senate Chief Whip and Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committees on National Planning and Women Affairs & Youth Development.
2. Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross River South, PDP)
Popularly known as “Mama Bakassi,” Florence Ita-Giwa, born on February 19, 1946, was a Senator for Cross River South. She had an extensive political career, advocating for the people of the Bakassi Peninsula. She later served as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
3. Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe (FCT, PDP)
Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe was elected Senator for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 1999 to 2003 under the PDP. She played a significant role in promoting women’s rights and chaired the Committee on Women Affairs.
4. Gbemisola Saraki (Kwara Central, PDP)
Gbemisola Saraki, daughter of Second Republic Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki, served as a senator from 2003 to 2011. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and later served as Minister of State for Transportation and Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development.
5. Joy Emodi (Anambra North, PDP)
Joy Emodi, a lawyer and politician born on May 23, 1955, was elected Senator for Anambra North in 2005. She was re-elected in 2007, but her victory was later overturned in 2010. Before politics, she worked as an Education Officer and represented Nigeria in international conferences.
6. Daisy Ehanire Danjuma (Edo South, PDP)
Daisy Danjuma, born on August 6, 1952, served as a senator from 2003 to 2007. She chaired the Senate Committee on Women Affairs and Youth Development and was a member of various committees, including Health, Education, Finance, and Land Transport.
7. Grace Bent (Adamawa South, PDP)
Grace Folashade Bent, born in 1960, was elected in 2007. Before politics, she worked as a political adviser to the PDP National Chairman and was an assistant producer at NTA Kaduna. She also holds a doctorate in Public Administration.
8. Iyabo Anisulowo (Ogun West, PDP)
Iyabo Veronica Anisulowo represented Ogun West in the Senate from 2003–2007. She previously served as Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Minister of State for Education under General Sani Abacha’s regime.
9. Chris Anyanwu (Imo East, PDP/APGA)
Chris Anyanwu, born on July 19, 1951, was a journalist before transitioning to politics. She was elected Senator for Imo East in 2007 under the PDP and later re-elected under APGA. She served on committees such as Security and Intelligence, Women Affairs, and Media and Publicity.
10. Patricia Akwashiki (Nasarawa North, PDP/ANPP)
Patricia Akwashiki earned a BA in Education from Ahmadu Bello University. She initially served in the House of Representatives (2003-2007) before winning a Senate seat in 2007 under the ANPP after switching from the PDP.
Before her senatorial election, Obasanjo served as the Ogun State Commissioner for Health.
11. Nkechi Nwaogu, Abia Central (PDP)
Nkechi Justina Nwaogu began her education at Aba Township School, earning her First School Leaving Certificate in 1967. She later attended Immaculate Heart Secondary School, graduating in 1975. She continued her studies in London, obtaining a Diploma in Printing Management from the London College of Printing.
In 1981, she completed a Postgraduate Degree in Management Studies (Finance) from the Polytechnic of South Bank, London, followed by an M.Sc. in Management (Finance) from Brunel University in 1984. In 2018, she earned a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Nwaogu represented Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, and Obi Ngwa Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She was elected senator for Abia Central in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. In June 2015, she left the PDP due to internal party disputes.
12. Iyabo Obasanjo
Iyabo Obasanjo, born on April 27, 1967, is the daughter of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo. She attended Corona School in Victoria Island, Lagos, Capital School in Kaduna, and Queen’s College in Lagos. She earned a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Ibadan in 1988, a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of California, Davis, in 1990, and a PhD in epidemiology from Cornell University in 1994.
She served as the Senator for Ogun Central from 2007 to 2011. During her tenure, she chaired the Senate Health Committee and was a member of various committees, including Security & Intelligence, Land Transport, Science & Technology, Education, National Planning, and Inter-Parliamentary Committees.
13. Zainab Kure, Niger South (PDP)
Zainab Abdulkadir Kure was elected as Senator for the Niger South constituency in 2007, serving until 2015 under the PDP. She obtained a BSc in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1984 and worked as a civil servant in Niger State, rising to the rank of permanent secretary. Her husband, Abdulkadir Kure, was the Governor of Niger State from 1999 to 2007.
14. Nenadi Usman, Kaduna South (PDP)
Nenadi Esther Usman was elected as a Senator for Kaduna South in 2011 under the PDP. Born in Jos, she attended Federal Government College, Jos, and obtained a degree in Geography from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, followed by a postgraduate diploma from the University of Jos.
Before her political career, Usman worked as Managing Director of Dana Ventures and held advisory roles in Kaduna State in the early 1990s. She also served as Principal Personnel Officer at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from 1994 to 1998 and as Minister of Finance.
She was married to HRH Dr. Sa’ad Usman, the Emir of Jere in Kaduna State, who passed away in March 2020.
15. Helen Esuene, Akwa Ibom South (PDP)
Helen Udoakagha Esuene, born on November 23, 1949, was appointed Minister of State for Health, later becoming Minister of Environment and Housing under President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2005 and 2007. She was elected as Senator for Akwa Ibom South in 2011 under the PDP.
16. Oluremi Tinubu, Lagos Central (APC) (Re-elected 3 times)
Oluremi “Remi” Tinubu, born on September 21, 1960, in Ogun State, is a Nigerian politician and the current First Lady of Nigeria. She earned a degree in Sociology from the University of Ife and was a teacher before entering politics.
She served as the First Lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 while her husband, Bola Tinubu, was governor. During this period, she launched the New Era Foundation, focusing on youth and health programs.
Elected as Senator for Lagos Central in 2011, she was re-elected in 2015 and 2019, making her one of the few female senators to serve three consecutive terms. Her work focused on education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment. She introduced bills for postal service reform and youth skill development. In 2021, she was honored as the most impactful female senator at The Guardian’s International Women’s Day Summit.
In June 2023, she became the First Lady of Nigeria, continuing her advocacy for women’s rights and youth empowerment.
17. Margery Chuba-Okadigbo, Anambra North (PDP)
Margery Chuba-Okadigbo served as a Senator for Anambra North from 2011 to 2015. She won her seat after extensive litigation against contenders Joy Emodi and Stella Oduah. Sworn in July 2012, she served as vice-chairman of the Health Committee, co-sponsoring the National Health Bill 2004 and contributing to bipartisan efforts in healthcare improvement.
She was also a member of the Senate committee on subsidy reinvestment and the empowerment program (SURE-P). She was married to Chuba Okadigbo, the 8th President of the Nigerian Senate, who passed away in 2023.
18. Aisha Al-Hassan, Taraba North (PDP/APC)
Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan, popularly known as Mama Taraba, was born on September 16, 1959, and passed away on May 7, 2021. She was elected to the Senate in 2011 under the PDP and later joined the APC, becoming the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Taraba State in 2015. Although initially declared the winner, the ruling was overturned by Nigeria’s Appeal and Supreme Courts.
She was appointed Minister of Women Affairs by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 but resigned in September 2018.
- Binta Masi Garba, Adamawa North (APC)
Binta Masi Garba, born on April 17, 1967, served as the Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District since 2015. She was the Chairperson of the Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), making history as the first female state chairperson of a registered major political party in Nigeria.
Garba was elected three times to the Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2011. She became the first politician to represent two different federal constituencies. In 2009, she was elected as the first Vice President of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) under the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Cameroon.
In the 2015 elections, she was the only female senator-elect among the 19 Northern states. She was also the sole female delegate from Adamawa State to the National Conference in Abuja.
- Stella Oduah, Anambra North (PDP) (Re-elected)
Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi, born on January 5, 1962, hails from Ogbaru LGA, Anambra State. She obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration, respectively, in the United States. She returned to Nigeria in 1983 and joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. From July 2, 2011, to February 12, 2014, she served as the Minister of Aviation.
In 2015, she was elected as the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District and was re-elected in 2019. In 2022, she contested under the APC but lost to the incumbent Senator Tony Nwoye.
- Uche Ekwunife, Anambra Central (APGA/PDP) (Re-elected)
Uche Lilian Ekwunife, born on December 12, 1970, in Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra, is a Nigerian politician with a strong academic background. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Accounting from the University of Calabar (1993) and an MBA from Nnamdi Azikiwe University (2002).
Ekwunife contested the Anambra governorship twice unsuccessfully. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2007 and re-elected in 2011, representing Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Constituency. In 2015, she won a Senate seat for Anambra Central but lost it due to a court ruling over her party defection.
She made a comeback in 2019, defeating her 2015 rival Victor Umeh to win the Anambra Central senatorial election under the PDP. Ekwunife is known for her resilience, advocacy for women’s empowerment, and dedication to her constituents.
- Rose Oko, Cross River North (PDP)
Rose Okoji Oko, born on September 27, 1956, and passed away on March 23, 2020, was a Nigerian politician and senator. She was a member of the Federal House of Representatives under the PDP, representing Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency in Nigeria’s 7th National Assembly.
In June 2011, she became the first female representative from her constituency, serving as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Education. She was later elected as the Senator representing Cross River North in June 2015, becoming the first female representative from her senatorial district.
- Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, Ekiti Central
Born on January 13, 1957, in Ekiti State, Fatimat Raji-Rasaki attended Doherty Memorial Grammar School in Ijero before studying law at the University of Lagos. In 2015, she was elected as the Senator for Ekiti Central and served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment.
She was the former First Lady of Ogun, Ondo, and Lagos States between 1986 and 1991, as she is married to Brigadier General Raji Alagbe Rasaki.
- Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu, Oyo Central (APC)
Born on September 10, 1959, in Ibadan, Monsurat Jumoke Sunmonu holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Ibadan. She has a background in business and administration.
In 2015, she was elected as the Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District under the APC. She focused on education, healthcare, and infrastructure development during her tenure. She served on key committees, including Environment, Women Affairs, and Health, and advocated for gender equality and youth empowerment.
Before her Senate role, Sunmonu was the first female Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly (2011–2015), earning a reputation for fairness and effective leadership.
- Akon Eyakenyi, Akwa Ibom South (PDP)
Akon Etim Eyakenyi served in the Senate from 2019 to 2023, representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District. She was notable for introducing a bill to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard.
Born in 1960 in Urue-Offong/Oruko, Akwa Ibom State, she began her education at Government Primary School, Uko Uyokim, earning her First School Leaving Certificate in 1974. She obtained multiple degrees, including a Ph.D. in Curriculum Education from the University of Calabar in 2014.
Eyakenyi held various government positions, including Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development under President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
- Betty Apiafi, Rivers West (PDP)
Betty Jocelyne Okagua, born on February 19, 1962, served as the Senator for Rivers West from 2019 to 2023 under the PDP. She previously served as a House of Representatives Member for Abua/Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2019.
Apiafi was a strong advocate for women’s affairs, education, and banking sector reforms during her tenure in both chambers.
- Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, Adamawa Central (APC)
Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, popularly known as Aisha Binani, was born on August 11, 1971. She served as the Senator representing Adamawa Central Senatorial District in the 9th Senate and was Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals.
She made history in 2023 as the first female governorship candidate in Adamawa State under APC. However, her election was marred by controversy when the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari, prematurely declared her the winner. INEC later reversed the declaration, confirming Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s victory.
- Ireti Kingibe, FCT (Labour Party)
Born on June 2, 1954, Ireti Heebah Kingibe won the FCT senatorial seat under the Labour Party (LP), defeating longtime incumbent Philip Aduda.
She studied Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota, USA, and previously contested the FCT senatorial election in 2003 under the ANPP. She later joined the PDP and APC before running with LP.
She is the younger sister of Ajoke Mohammed, wife of former Nigerian Head of State Murtala Mohammed.
- Ipalibo Banigo, Rivers West (PDP)
Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, a medical doctor, represented Rivers West under the PDP. She was the first female Deputy Governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023.
She earned an MBBS from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and a master’s degree from Harvard University School of Public Health.
- Idiat Adebule, Lagos West (APC)
Born on November 27, 1970, Idiat Oluranti Adebule represented Lagos West under APC. She previously served as Deputy Governor of Lagos State (2015–2019) and held various educational roles.
- Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Kogi Central (PDP)
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, born on December 9, 1979, was elected Senator for Kogi Central in 2023. She later made headlines in 2025 after accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of misconduct, leading to her suspension and a legal battle.
