5 facts you didn't know about Nigeria's first female senator Afegbua who died at 79

The late Franca Afegbua is the first woman to hold a senatorial position.

After her demise which occurred on Sunday, March 12, MyNigeria sheds more light on some interesting facts you probably may not have known about her.

Below are some five facts about the late Franca Afegbua

1.Afegbua was born in 1943

Franca Afegbua was born on October 20, 1943 in Okpella, Edo State. She completed her post-secondary education in Sofia, Bulgaria.

2.She was introduced to National Party of Nigeria by Joseph Tarka

Afegbua joined the National Party of Nigeria, where she succeeded in becoming the senator, with the help of her close friend Joseph Tarka who also served as a former minister for Transport and Communications.

3.She was a beautician

Before venturing into the political scene, Afegbua was a renowned beautician. She worked as a hairdresser in Lagos state and served high-income clients.

It was through this that Afegbua decided to capitalize on her relationship with her female clients to take up her ambition in politics. She had won a global hair competition in 1977, and she believed that getting more women to vote would help her win.

4.Afegbua represented Bendel North in the Nigerian senate

When she realized her interest in politics, she decided to represent the people of Bendel North in the Nigerian Senate election in 1983.

A few people believed she could succeed when she declared her intention to run for a senatorial seat in Bendel because it was a male-dominated system and the men were loved by the community.

She never gave up on her dream because she knew what was within her and the change she could also bring to the people of Bendel.

5.Afegbua spent less than three months in office

After being elected as the country's first female Senator, Afegbua could not serve her full term in office because the military at the time overthrew the civilian government.

GA/NBA