The Right to Political Participation and Ethnic Marginalization in Nigeria’s National Assembly: An Analytical Study

This research analytically examines whether the composition and representational practices of Nigeria's National Assembly adequately reflect the right to political participation and the protection of minority ethnic groups from political marginalization, drawing on Article 25 of the ICCPR and the federal character constitutional provisions. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic nationalities, yet political power has historically been concentrated among a small number of dominant ethnic groups. The study employs a mixed analytical methodology, combining quantitative analysis of National Assembly membership by ethnicity, geopolitical zone, gender, and religion from the 8th to 10th Assemblies (2015 to 2027) with doctrinal analysis of the electoral legal framework and qualitative interviews with minority ethnic legislators, constitutional lawyers, and civil society electoral reform advocates. The Federal Character Act, the Electoral Act 2022, and the INEC party registration regulations are critically examined. Findings reveal systematic underrepresentation of minority ethnic groups in both the Senate and House of Representatives, notwithstanding federal character principles, compounded by first-past-the-post electoral design that disadvantages geographically dispersed minorities. The study argues that the current electoral framework does not adequately operationalize equal political participation rights for minority communities. Recommendations include introduction of reserved seats or proportional representation mechanisms for recognized minority ethnic groups and strengthened constitutional review of federal character compliance in legislative appointments. Keywords: political participation, ethnic marginalization, National Assembly, federal character, minority rights.