By Oluwakemi Kindness
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen says the House of Representatives will push for constitutionally reserved legislative seats for persons with disabilities (PWDs) after concluding work on the proposed special seats for women.
Speaker Abbas made this known on Thursday in Abuja while hosting a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) delegation led by the UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa.
He said the initiative would seek to increase the political representation of persons with disabilities, who have long been excluded from elective positions in Nigeria and across Africa.
The Speaker also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu fully support the bill seeking to create special seats for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.
According to him, both leaders have engaged with lawmakers in recent months on ensuring the proposal is successfully captured in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
Abbas said the House is also considering an electoral college made up of elected public office holders to elect representatives into the reserved seats, a move he said would reduce the financial and logistical costs associated with the process.
Speaking during the visit, Ahunna Eziakonwa and UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative Elsie Attafuah praised the Speaker for championing reforms that promote women’s inclusion and inclusive governance.
They described the reserved seats proposal as a major democratic and development initiative capable of strengthening Nigeria’s leadership role across Africa
