Stakeholders at the 2026 Open Week told lawmakers that the Special Seats for Women Bill is the greatest legacy the 10th National Assembly can leave behind
The Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, and the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, have called on lawmakers to ensure the passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the creation of special reserved seats for women, describing it as the most consequential piece of legislation before the 10th National Assembly.
They made the appeal during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, warning that the legislature’s democratic legacy would be diminished if the bill failed to secure approval.
The reserved seat for women bill is designed as a temporary affirmative-action measure to address the severe underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics. For the Senate, the bill proposes one additional female senator for each of the 36 states, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), creating 37 new Senate seats reserved for women. Similarly, for the House of Representatives, the bill proposes one additional female member for each state and the FCT, adding 37 new seats in the House, also reserved for women. At the State House Assembly, the bill proposes three additional seats per state, allocated by senatorial districts, with each seat contested only by women. This would add 108 new state-level seats across the 36 states.
Speaking at the National Dialogue on the Electoral College Model for the Special Seats Bill, Nwankwo acknowledged the Assembly’s legislative achievements over the past three years but argued that none would match the significance of expanding women’s representation in elective offices.
He described the bill as a defining reform that seeks to address the longstanding underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political system and appealed to lawmakers in both chambers to rally behind it.
Addressing the Speaker through the House Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, and Hajiya Fatima Abbas, Nwankwo urged sustained advocacy to build consensus around the proposal.
“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 also commended local and international partners, including the European Union and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), for supporting efforts to increase women’s political participation, noting that passage of the bill would reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive governance and align the country with global democratic standards.
In her remarks, Hajiya Fatima Abbas praised the leadership of the House of Representatives under Speaker Abbas Tajudeen for promoting transparency, legislative reforms and citizen engagement through initiatives such as the National Assembly Open Week.
She said the event reflected the legislature’s commitment to opening its processes to citizens and strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions.
According to her, the proposed constitutional amendment is intended to tackle the persistent underrepresentation of women and other marginalised groups in Nigeria’s elective offices.
“This Open Week reflects our shared belief that democracy thrives when citizens are informed, engaged and able to participate meaningfully in governance. By opening the legislature to dialogue and public engagement, the House of Representatives continues to strengthen public trust and deepen Nigeria’s democratic culture,” she said.
She stressed that democracy could only thrive when every segment of society had a meaningful opportunity to participate in governance.
“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 added.
Hajiya Abbas urged lawmakers, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders to sustain advocacy until the bill is enacted.
She also commended President Bola Tinubu for pursuing institutional reforms and inclusive governance under the renewed hope agenda, while praising First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for advancing women’s empowerment through the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The speaker’s wife further highlighted the advocacy efforts of the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA), which she chairs, saying the association has continued to campaign nationwide for increased female representation in governance.
Renewed push for greater representation
Earlier, women leaders, serving and former lawmakers, and civil society organisations renewed calls for stronger female representation in governance during the dialogue, which formed part of activities marking the 2026 National Assembly Open Week.
Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Rep. Kafilat Ogbara, lamented that women currently occupy only about four per cent of seats in the National Assembly, describing it as the lowest level of female representation on the African continent.
She said the outcome of the recent party primaries underscored the structural barriers confronting women seeking elective office, with many female legislators 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.
Ogbara expressed optimism that the National Assembly leadership’s repeated commitment to gender inclusion would translate into concrete legislative action.
She explained that the Special Seats Bill is designed to create additional opportunities for women in governance and urged stakeholders to support the Electoral College Model as one possible mechanism for implementing the proposed constitutional reform.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Patricia Etteh, also backed the proposal, noting that democracies across the world have adopted reforms to improve political representation.
She endorsed the Electoral College Model and called for sustained civic education, political mobilisation and stronger commitment by political parties to promote women’s participation.
Responding, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the House Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, reaffirmed the House leadership’s commitment to securing the passage of the Special Seats Bill.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson, assured participants that lawmakers would continue working across party lines to ensure the legislation succeeds.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by representatives of women’s organisations, development partners, and the Deputy Governors of Rivers and Kaduna States, all of whom reiterated support for constitutional reforms aimed at increasing women’s participation in governance.
