The Constitution Alteration Bill proposes the creation of additional seats exclusively for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly as a temporary affirmative action measure.
The wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fatima Abbas, has urged the 10th National Assembly to ensure the passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to create special reserved seats for women, describing it as a critical reform needed to deepen Nigeria’s democracy and promote inclusive governance.
She said the proposed constitutional amendment would address the persistent underrepresentation of women in elective positions and strengthen democratic institutions by ensuring broader participation in governance.
According to her, democracy can only thrive when all segments of society have the opportunity to contribute to decision-making.
“The Special Seats Bill seeks to address the persistent underrepresentation of women and other marginalised groups in elective offices, ensuring that our democratic institutions better reflect the diversity of the Nigerian people. A stronger democracy is one in which every voice has a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” she said.
Mrs Tajudeen said the Open Week initiative reflected the House of Representatives’ commitment to transparency, citizen engagement and legislative accountability.
She called on lawmakers, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders to sustain advocacy until the bill becomes law.
The speaker’s wife also applauded President Bola Tinubu for pursuing institutional reforms through the Renewed Hope Agenda and commended the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for advancing women’s empowerment and social inclusion through the Renewed Hope Initiative.
She highlighted the advocacy efforts of the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA), which she chairs, saying the group had continued to mobilise support nationwide for greater female representation in governance.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, described the proposed legislation as the most consequential bill before the current National Assembly.
He argued that although the legislature had recorded notable achievements through constitutional amendments, motions and other legislative reforms over the past three years, none would equal the significance of expanding women’s political representation.
Mr Nwankwo warned that failure to pass the bill would cast doubt on the democratic legacy of the 10th National Assembly.
“This is the most important bill before this National Assembly. It is not the budget bill or the tax reform bill. The Special Seats for Women Bill is the greatest legacy this National Assembly can leave behind. If this bill does not pass, the legacy of the 10th National Assembly will be seriously questioned,” he said.
He urged the leadership of both chambers to intensify efforts to secure the support of lawmakers for the bill and commended development partners, including the European Union and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, for supporting campaigns aimed at improving women’s political participation.
The dialogue also featured renewed calls by women leaders, lawmakers and civil society organisations for constitutional measures to improve female representation in Nigeria’s political institutions.
Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, said women currently occupy only about four per cent of seats in the National Assembly, describing it as the lowest level of representation on the continent.
She said the outcome of recent party primaries further demonstrated the structural challenges confronting female politicians, with many incumbent women lawmakers unable to secure their parties’ nominations.
“Women in Nigeria have been sidelined for far too long. The Reserved Seats for Women Bill deserves urgent attention. Despite the fact that many of the recent primaries were largely predetermined, women were still not adequately accommodated,” she said.
Mrs Ogbara expressed optimism that the National Assembly leadership would translate its public commitment to gender inclusion into legislative action.
She said the proposed reserved seats would provide additional opportunities for women to participate in governance and identified the Electoral College Model as one of the options for implementing the constitutional reform.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, also backed the proposal, urging greater political support for women and advocating sustained civic education to encourage wider participation in politics.
Representing the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, reaffirmed the leadership’s commitment to the passage of the bill.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, assured participants that lawmakers would continue engaging across party lines to secure the bill’s approval.
Representatives of women’s groups, development partners and the deputy governors of Rivers and Kaduna states also delivered goodwill messages in support of the proposed constitutional amendment.
The Constitution Alteration Bill proposes the creation of additional seats exclusively for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly as a temporary affirmative action measure.
Under the proposal, one additional Senate seat and one House of Representatives seat would be created for women in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, while every state House of Assembly would have one additional seat reserved for women from each of the state’s three senatorial districts.
The reserved seats are expected to remain in place for 16 years, after which the arrangement would be reviewed.
The bill is designed to increase women’s representation in elective offices without affecting existing constituencies or displacing current seats.
