Nigerian Women Leaders and Advocates have intensified advocacy for the passage of the Special Seats Bill, describing it as a historic step to correct political imbalance, strengthen democracy, and unlock the nation’s full socio-economic potential through inclusive representation.
Women’s Rights Advocate Ene Obi said the Special Seats Bill as a matter of social justice, essential to correcting Nigeria’s political imbalance because women bring unique perspectives to leadership.
Speaking to Voice of Nigeria, Obi stated: “It’s about correcting the imbalance of the decision makers in your population, and this is very, very essential because women are bearing the brunt of everything. When women are involved in the decision, they are involved in making decisions for the humans that they control
Obi further urged women to stand together politically and reject opposition to the bill, warning that failing to act would harm the nation’s development.
“It is about time we change the course. This is history. Let’s be part of history.If you can’t go and stand for election, vote for those who are standing. Women need to vote for women so that we can correct this imbalance,” she said.
She emphasised that it’s passage would reverse Nigeria’s Maternal mortality indices as “too many women remain on the maternity death line,” linking women’s health to national progress,” however cautioning that any opposition to the bill is a betrayal,“If you are against a woman, you are against your sister, your wife, your daughter, your grandmother” .
Meanwhile, the Founder of She Forum Africa, Ms. Inimfon Etuk, pounted out that Nigeria’s political landscape is “replete with historical injustices against women’s political participation,” warning that it will take generations to address the imbalance unless bold steps are taken.
For Etuk, the Special Seats Bill offers a practical and innovative intervention; “It seeks not only to correct the injustices but create innovative windows that will enable Nigeria fully draw from the innate values of women’s foresight when brought to bear within the context of our political and leadership ecosystem,”.
She cautioned against dismissing the bill as tokenism; stressing that “It is not and should not be viewed as a tokenist offering, otherwise we risk missing out on the full socio-economic benefits of having more women at the table,”
Also, the President of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV), Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, described the Special Seats Bill as a vital affirmative action to deepen democracy and empower women.
“The Special Seats Bill is a vital affirmative action aimed at increasing women’s representation in parliament, ensuring their voices are heard and valued,” she said.
She explained that greater inclusion would strengthen governance by bringing more women into governance, and mot importntly lead to the development of gender-friendly policies that drive economic improvement and enhance democratic integrity.
“Ultimately, it will create opportunities for women to participate more actively in politics and decision-making processes,”Awunah-Ikyegh stated.
In her submission, Nikki Onyeri, Secretary General of the Association of Women Traditional Title Holders in Nigeria, described the Special Seats Bill as “very critical in the development of this nation.”
“For our GDP to grow you cannot continue to keep away 50% of your population — and they are the women,” she said,
Validating the leadership abilities of Nigerian women, she added “We’ve had instances of people like Okonjo-Iweala and Amina Mohammed at the United Nations,”
Onyeri appealed directly to male lawmakers: “Please we are appealing to the men, give us these seats so that you can bring us to the table to make our contribution.”
Sharing her political experience, she disclosed that she had contested for the House of Representatives four times without success but expressed hope: “I didn’t get it, but I believe that this is the right moment that we will all enjoy this bill,”
These voices reflect the growing national demand for inclusive governance and greater representation of women in Nigeria’s political space, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places emphasis on equity, inclusion, and participatory democracy as pillars of national development.
This Special Seats bill proposes that an additional one seat across 36 states and the FCT be reserved for women at the Senate and the House of Representatives, and three additional seats be reserved for women at the State Houses of Assembly, one per senatorial district, to ensure inclusive participation and representation in governance.
By championing the Special Seats Bill, Nigerian Women argue that this is the only way Nigeria can accelerate unlocking its full socio-economic potential and strengthening democratic governance.
Confidence Okwuchi