The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has called for the swift passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill as the National Assembly prepares for final consideration of the Constitution Alteration Bills.
Professor Sulaiman made the appeal in Abuja, at the International Women’s Day National Gala on legislative advocacy for the bill, organised by NILDS in collaboration with UN Women and supported by the Canadian Government.
Professor Sulaiman said; “the gathering was not merely ceremonial but significant to advancing legislative reforms aimed at improving women’s representation in governance.”
According to him, “the Special Seats for Women Bill is a key democratic reform that provides a constitutional pathway to address gender imbalance in political representation within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic system.”
Professor Sulaiman explained that the proposal provides “6 additional seats in the Senate — one per geo-political zone; 37 additional seats in the House of Representatives — one per state and the FCT; and 108 additional seats across State Houses of Assembly; three per state.”
“This is not simply about numbers, but it is about voice, equity, fairness and justice for all,” he added.
Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abass Tajudeen, the Chairman, Women Affairs Committee, Mrs Kafilat Ogbara said, “We believe there can be no real advancement of women’s rights without adequate representation.”
The Speaker affirmed that “the legislative agenda of the Third House of Representatives explicitly commits to women’s political representation, promoting electoral reforms and penalising violence against women in politics, mandatory party quotas for female candidates and subsidies for women in terms of payments for political reforms”
“We have therefore championed special seats for women. The special seats bill is one thing. Ensuring that women at the national and state levels are retained is another way to reserve seats for women,”Ogbara added.
Representing the British High Commission, the Deputy Head of UK Development Agency, Graham Gass while pledging the support of “the UK and other international partners” underscored the urgency of the bill.
“It’s critical that the National Assembly prioritises the Special Seats Bill at this point. Let the votes go ahead by all means,” he said.
Speaking, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mrs. Beatrice Eyong said; “This bill does not repudiate the merits of competition. It is a short-term measure that seeks to correct a long-standing structural imbalance.”
Eyong expressed hope that “the National Assembly will prioritise the timely passage of the bill to enable capable women to prepare for the 2027 general elections”, noting that the passage of the bill “will have implications on INEC’s calendar of events and budgets for the 2027 general elections.”
Also, Chair Women in Political Participation Working Group , Ebere Ifendu called for enforcement of party provisions supporting women.
“In all the political parties, they have provisions reserved for women,” she said. “What do we do today to get it implemented? So that political parties, especially INEC can actually support Nigerian women to achieve prominence in this election by insisting that political parties work with their national constitutions and their manifestos.”
“It will be so sad for us if we don’t get the special seats to use and then the political parties are also not giving women… seats to contest. Then we will go back to status quo.” Ifendu added.
Addressing the current status of the Special Seats Bill, Executive Director, Ene Obi Centre, Ene Obi, noted: “There has never been a time in Nigeria where the women’s seats have gone this far. We are also able to take it to the national hearing, which was the highest we have gone so far.”
” If I tell you that this is where we are now, this is when the voting is going to happen. I cannot say that.What we are expecting to do is one is on the day of the voting, we are going to mobilise, massively Nigerian women…” Obi said
Also, President of League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Irene Awunah-Ikyegh added, “ It is high time for us to go and hold them accountable.”
“Just as they had an emergency sitting for the electoral law, so it is very paramount and very imperative to have an emergency sitting for the women’s bill. This is because we are going to have time-line implications.” Awunah-Ikyegh urged.
Concluding, Head, Gender & Inclusivity NILDS, Emily Ikhide, declared: “The message is you must pass the bill. This bill must be passed. And that is the message we are sending out today.”
The event attended by government representatives, diplomatic envoys and civil society stakeholders, also featured the inauguration of the Nigerian Women Legislative Caucus by the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Caucus will serve as a cross-party platform for the women leaders to drive their legislative agenda at the National and State Houses of Assemblies to advance the aspiration and plight of Nigerian women and children.