President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to transmit executive bills to the National Assembly seeking the creation of additional legislative seats for women and Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, as part of efforts to deepen inclusion and broaden representation in governance.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, disclosed this in Abuja during an engagement with stakeholders on inclusive legislation and constitutional reforms.
Abbas explained that the proposed seats would be separate from existing elective positions at the federal and state levels, meaning they would not affect the current composition of constituencies but would be created as additional seats to enhance participation.
Giving details of the proposal for women’s representation, the Speaker said 37 additional seats would be created in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with one seat reserved for each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, the arrangement is designed to guarantee that every state and the FCT has at least one woman representing its interest at the national legislature, thereby addressing the long-standing gender imbalance in Nigeria’s parliament.
In addition to the National Assembly, he said State Houses of Assembly would also have three additional seats reserved for women, to ensure that female voices are heard more strongly in lawmaking at the sub-national level.
Abbas noted that the proposal is not intended to replace or limit women from contesting regular seats, but to provide a special window that encourages greater female participation in politics and governance.
He further disclosed that a separate bill is being prepared to seek special representation for Persons with Disabilities in the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and local government legislative councils.
The Speaker said the PWDs bill seeks to address the near exclusion of persons with disabilities from legislative processes and to ensure that their unique challenges and perspectives are reflected in policy and lawmaking.
He explained that the women’s representation bill is currently being fine-tuned by the Federal Ministry of Justice to align its provisions with constitutional requirements and international best practices on inclusive governance.
According to him, both bills are executive proposals and reflect President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance and the administration’s determination to carry along groups that have historically been marginalised.
Abbas assured that once the bills are transmitted to the National Assembly, the House will give them accelerated consideration and ensure broad consultation with women groups, disability communities and other stakeholders.
He expressed optimism that the National Assembly would rally support for the bills, noting that many lawmakers are already in agreement on the need to create more space for women and PWDs in the legislature.
The Speaker added that the PWDs bill is expected to be transmitted within the next few weeks, while the women’s bill would follow shortly after the Ministry of Justice concludes its review.
He said the initiatives, if passed into law, would mark a major milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey and significantly improve the country’s record on gender parity and inclusion in governance.
