The organisation made this known in a policy brief presented on Thursday at its Multi-Stakeholders’ Information Dissemination Meeting on the Status of Electoral Violence Against Women in Rivers State.

The brief blamed the persistent violence surrounding elections in the state since the return to democratic rule in 1999 on what it described as corrupt members of the political class seeking to capture political power for personal wealth accumulation rather than public service.

It described the prevailing political atmosphere as a major threat to democratic participation, arguing that the zero-sum nature of politics in Rivers State has encouraged electoral violence, restricted civic space and significantly reduced women’s involvement in the political process.

According to CCADI, women’s participation and representation in politics have continued to decline since 1999, describing the trend as a major setback for democratic inclusion.

“The curve of women’s participation and representation in politics, elections and governance keeps sloping downwards since the start of this current democratic governance experiment in 1999, signalling a monumental backsliding,” the brief stated.

The organisation cited the list of candidates for the June 20, 2026, bye-elections in Rivers State, noting that none of the four candidates was a woman. It described this as evidence of the continued exclusion of women from the electoral process.

The brief also revealed that women occupy only six of the 32 seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, representing 18 per cent of its membership, based on figures attributed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It warned that the poor representation of women in politics also limits their access to strategic public offices, economic opportunities, security structures and environmental emergency response mechanisms.

CCADI identified online and physical attacks by political opponents, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, bullying and doxxing as some of the challenges confronting women in the state’s political environment.

It said these practices had discouraged many women from contesting elective positions and prevented some from emerging as candidates during party primaries.

“These violent acts have contributed to deterring and preventing women from emerging as candidates from the primary elections for different positions (such as Presidential, Governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly) of their various parties for the 2027 election cycle in Rivers State,” the brief stated.

As part of its efforts to document incidents and promote timely intervention, the organisation disclosed that it had recruited, trained and deployed female election observers across the three senatorial districts of Rivers State.

The observers are expected to monitor and report cases of electoral violence against women before, during and after elections to facilitate prompt institutional responses.

CCADI also revealed that it had commissioned two investigative reports to examine incidents of violence against women in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Among its preliminary findings was the alleged systematic exclusion of the incumbent senator representing Rivers West, Dr Ipalibo Banigo, a former deputy governor of the state, from the 2027 senatorial race by what it described as a male-dominated political structure.

The reports also documented an incident in which a female political party candidate in Eleme Local Government Area was allegedly denied access to a public facility for a scheduled campaign activity.

Other concerns included reported disruptions of campaign activities, destruction of campaign materials belonging to different political parties, and growing pressure from family members, communities and traditional institutions on female aspirants to abandon their political ambitions.

In response, CCADI called on political parties, candidates, members and supporters to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to electoral violence, particularly attacks directed at women.

It urged security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to act on available early-warning reports to prevent violence and respond swiftly to reported incidents.

The organisation also recommended amendments to the 2026 Electoral Act to introduce tougher penalties for perpetrators of electoral violence, including disqualification from political and electoral participation.

Furthermore, CCADI called for the passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill, arguing that the proposed legislation would improve women’s participation and representation in elective offices while reducing their vulnerability to electoral violence.