National Assembly May Decide on Special Seats Bill this Week 

–        It’s a defining moment, say EU, PLAC

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Barring any change in schedule, members of the National Assembly will pass their verdict on the Special Seats Bill meant to ensure greater inclusivity and involvement of Nigeria women in governance.

The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) which has been leading advocacy campaigns on the Bill said at the weekend that the Special Seats Bill will be voted on by both Chambers of the National Assembly this week.

Speaking at an event to amplify support for the women representation initiative, Executive Director of PLAC, Mr. Clement Nwankwo said: “The clock is almost counting down in the sense that, if we go by the schedule decided by the leadership of the National Assembly – voting on the Bill will either happen on the 8th or 9th of December which is really next week.”

Nwankwo said the passage of the Bill will no doubt prove a test case on the ability of the 10th National Assembly to listen to the popular demand of Nigerians.

He described this week’s consideration of the Bill as a defining moment for both the National Assembly and Nigerian women.

“In my conversations with members of the National Assembly, I say to them that I have worked with you since 2010 on constitutional review. I joined you to have the first-ever amendment to Nigeria’s Constitution in 2010. It is 15 years since then. 

“This would be my last involvement in constitutional review if this bill is not passed. And I think a lot of them are understanding the seriousness of it.

“Whether we get the numbers – in terms of the two-thirds – or not is a matter of conjecture, really. I think that the National Assembly understands fully that this is going to be the defining issue regarding the 10th National Assembly.

“So, my expectation, and my hope, is that the National Assembly will do what citizens are asking it to do,” he said. 

While expressing her support for the Special Seats Bill, Minister of Women Affairs, Imman Suleiman said the bill provides the constitutional mechanism to gradually correct the exiting imbalances in gender representation in the legislature. 

The Minister who spoke at a press briefing after a stakeholders’ roundtable on count down to the special seat bill organised by PLAC in Abuja, said there are only 48 women out of 991 legislators in the country while there is complete absence of women in the State House of Assemblies of 13 states.

She also said that presently not a single woman is a member of the Economic Council of Nigeria.

“Nigeria is home to almost 150 million women – more than half of our population – yet only 21 women serve in the National Assembly: four in the Senate and 17 in the House of Representatives. At the state level, we have only 48 women out of 991 legislators. 

“And in 13 states, women are completely absent from critical decision-making processes. This means that even committees that discuss issues affecting women are being decided by men.

“And 20 years into our democracy, not a single woman is a member of the Economic Council of Nigeria,” she said.

The minister said the gap not only reflects the lack of competence in our systems but sense of equity.

She said Nigerian women are not only competent but also have the capacity and the commitment to project Nigeria to greater heights. 

“It is in the face of these persistent barriers that Nigerian women across political, civic and professional spheres have come together, united – just like in this room – to issue a clear call for the Special Seats for Women Bill.

“This bill provides the constitutional mechanism to gradually correct historic imbalances by creating time-bound additional seats for women, ensuring broader participation and enhancing the inclusivity and legitimacy of our democracy,” she said.

The Deputy Ambassador, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Zissimos Vergos said the active participation of women at all levels of decision making and politics is essential to the achievement of equality, sustainable development, peace and democracy. 

He noted that the advocacy for women’s political participation has been long drawn, adding that in spite of the very dynamic intervention by women’s group and other key stakeholders, their representation remains in steady decline. 

“For example, women’s representation in the 10th National Assembly is 7.4% percent out of 469 combined seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

“And I recall that also, the figures do not look much better at the level of the state House of Assemblies and there has been no single woman elected governor. 

“They have been nominated but not elected governor. In Nigeria’s 25 years of democracy and the percentage of women appointed political position still falls significantly short compared to men”.

The Deputy EU Ambassador said the ongoing constitutional reform process presents an opportunity to adopt an inclusive legal framework that promotes equal participation of all Nigerians, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age and disability status, another agenda that should never escape from us.