A coalition of Nigerian women on Wednesday urged the National Assembly to reject any motion opposing the Special Seats Bill for Women when it comes up for plenary consideration.
The group, which said it has representation across the 360 federal constituencies in the country, made the call during the submission of petitions at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the President of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Irene Awunah Ikyegh, appealed to lawmakers to vote in favour of the bill and mobilise support across both chambers.
She said members of the House of Representatives and the Senate should ensure the bill secures majority support when subjected to a vote.
“We ask that you use your good offices to influence the passage of this bill. We also advocate an emergency sitting to vote on it.
“We urge you to support it when it is put to a vote on the floor of the House,” she said.
Ikyegh added that the coalition remains hopeful that lawmakers will become champions of the bill in the interest of strengthening democracy and ensuring fair representation for both men and women.
She explained that three weeks earlier, members of the coalition visited constituency offices and residences of lawmakers to submit petitions demanding the immediate passage of the bill.
According to her, while some lawmakers personally received the petitions, others were submitted in their absence, while a few could not be reached.
She said the latest visit to the National Assembly was aimed at submitting the remaining copies, as well as acknowledging copies of those already received.
Reading from the petition, Ikyegh said the demand was anchored on constitutional guarantees of freedom from discrimination and the right of every citizen to participate in governance.
She noted that women make up nearly half of Nigeria’s population and contribute significantly to the nation’s social, economic, and political development.
Despite this, she lamented that women remain severely underrepresented at all levels of government, often occupying less than five per cent of elected positions.
She described the situation as a democratic deficit that denies the country inclusive governance, diverse perspectives, and equitable resource distribution.
According to her, the Special Seats Bill seeks to address the imbalance through the creation of additional seats for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.
She said the proposal would align Nigeria with countries such as Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda in advancing women’s political inclusion.
Ikyegh recalled that similar constitutional amendment bills were considered by the 9th and 10th Assemblies but failed to secure the required support.
She, however, urged lawmakers to demonstrate stronger political will and ensure the bill’s passage.
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