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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A coalition of women groups, yesterday, staged a peaceful rally at the entrance of the National Assembly, calling for the quick passage of the Reserved Seats Bill.
The coalition, which includes the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), among others, urged the lawmakers to hasten the passage of the bill, especially as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the timetable for the 2027 polls.
The reserved seat bill is one of the 44 bills, being considered by the National Assembly, in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended). However, the parliament is yet to fix a date for voting on the constitution alteration bills.
The proposed legislation is seeking the creation of six senate seats to be drawn from the six geo-political zones, 37 House of Representatives seats, from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as three state assembly seats per senatorial zone to be reserved exclusively for women.
Former Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Ene Obi, while speaking at the rally applauded the National Assembly for the progress so far made on the reserved seat bill.
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Nonetheless, Obi called on the lawmakers to hasten the passage of the bill to give women the opportunity to contest for the seats to be created by the piece of the legislation in the 2027 general election.
According to her, “A vote for a woman is a vote for life. Women are the hope of life. And I want to urge the members of the National Assembly, we are not protesting today, we are holding a rally. We believe in non-violence. We have organised ourselves. We have not besieged the gates of the National Assembly. We are not going to the Assembly unless they invite us.
“We are calling on the members of the National Assembly to come here and address us. We are waiting for them patiently. We are quite orderly. We don’t fight to go into that house because they have allowed us before. We have been campaigning for a special seats bill.”
Similarly, the representative of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Rahila Dauda implored the National Assembly to pass the bill so as to improve female representation in the legislative and other arms of government.
Dauda said: “We are in total support of the bill, the special seats and we urge the National Assembly to join with us by passing this bill. It is wrong of our view because it is a shame that a country like Nigeria, which more than half of the population are women, unfortunately only about five or four are in the National Assembly and the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“So the time is now, please and please the National Assembly join us and make history to pass this bill. Nigerian women want this bill now.”
