The Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria, Tajudeen Abbas says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is advancing executive bills to strengthen political representation for women and persons with disabilities while expanding opportunities for youth participation in governance.
Abbas made this known at the City Boy Movement’s special engagement with President Tinubu, tagged “An Evening with the Original City Boy,” at the State House, Abuja, where he described the proposed legislation as a significant step towards addressing longstanding inequalities in Nigeria’s political representation.
The Speaker explained that the President’s initiative would build on the Not Too Young To Run Act, enacted during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which reduced age restrictions for certain elective offices and expanded opportunities for younger Nigerians to seek political leadership.
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The Speaker revealed that President Tinubu intended to extend the gains of that reform to women and persons with disabilities, two groups he noted were significantly underrepresented in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
He disclosed that the President had taken steps towards sponsoring executive legislation to create additional reserved legislative seats for women, describing the proposal as a major intervention aimed at addressing the country’s low female representation in elective offices.
“This is revolutionary,” Abbas declared, noting that Nigeria remained among the countries with the lowest levels of women’s parliamentary representation globally, a situation the President was determined to address before the next general elections.
The Speaker further revealed that a similar legislative initiative was being pursued to guarantee greater political representation for persons with disabilities, stressing that their longstanding marginalisation required deliberate institutional reforms.
Abbas also urged the leadership and members of the City Boy Movement to sensitise Nigerians to the proposed reforms, describing them as part of President Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen inclusive governance and expand political opportunities for women, young people and persons with disabilities.
