Young Women Aspirants and Gendered Ageism in Nigeria’s Political Parties

This chapter explores how formal rules and informal norms interact to shape the political recruitment of young women. When formal rules are changed to engender inclusive political participation, party leaders consciously or unconsciously utilize informal practices to preserve the status quo of exclusionary politics that ensures male hegemonic dominance. This chapter uses the critical case of Nigeria’s 2019 and 2023 elections, the first two elections since the #NotTooYoungtoRun law that reduced the candidacy ages, to highlight how the intersection of formal regulations and informal networks maintains male party dominance in candidate selection. Drawing on qualitative data sources, arguments are made to highlight how existing formal rules reinforce gender and youth disadvantage, making formal concessions of little to no effect on gender parity.