By Oluwakemi Kindness
The wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, and the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, have urged the 10th National Assembly to pass the Constitution Alteration Bill creating Special Reserved Seats for Women, warning that failure to do so would undermine the legislature’s democratic legacy.
They made the call on Wednesday during the National Dialogue on the Electoral College Model for the Special Seats Bill, held as part of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja.
Fatima Abbas said the proposed constitutional amendment would address the persistent under representation of women and other marginalized groups in elective offices, making Nigeria’s democratic institutions more inclusive and representative.
She said the National Assembly Open Week reflects the House of Representatives’ commitment to transparency, citizen engagement and participatory governance.
“The Special Seats Bill seeks to address the persistent under representation of women and other marginalized groups in elective offices, ensuring that our democratic institutions better reflect the diversity of the Nigerian people.”
She urged lawmakers, civil society organisations and development partners to sustain advocacy until the bill becomes law, stressing that democracy is stronger when every segment of society has a meaningful opportunity to participate in governance.
Also speaking, Nwankwo described the proposed legislation as the most important bill before the National Assembly, saying it would become the defining legacy of the 10th Assembly if passed.
“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.”
He warned lawmakers against allowing the bill to fail.
“If this bill does not pass, the legacy of the 10th National Assembly will be seriously questioned.”
Nwankwo said the legislation would help correct the long-standing under representation of women in elective offices and align Nigeria with global democratic standards on inclusive representation. He also acknowledged the support of the European Union, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other partners for advancing women’s political participation.
The dialogue brought together lawmakers, women leaders, civil society organisations and development partners to discuss strategies for advancing the constitutional amendment before the 10th National Assembly.
