First Lady urges NASS to pass Women’s Special Seats Bill at Aso Rock Dinner

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, at a dinner she hosted Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and other principal officers of the National Assembly for a dinner at the Presidential Villa on Friday evening, using the occasion to rally support for reserved seats for women in parliament.

In her address, Tinubu expressed delight at the gathering, describing it as a reunion with familiar faces from past collaborations on national legislation. “This room is filled with familiar faces, colleagues and friends with whom I have debated, loved, disagreed, for ultimately working side-by-side to advance legislation that centralizes the objectives of our nation,” she stated.

Mrs. Tinubu highlighted recent national struggles, particularly threats to children’s education and basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter, exacerbated by security situations. She warned that such deprivations expose vulnerable youth to exploitation by exclusionist groups promising better lives, calling for urgent reforms to restore dignity and provide equitable learning environments.

Turning to legislative priorities, the First Lady spotlighted the ongoing push for women’s representation through the Special Seats Bill, noting interest from local and international advocates. “I have watched with keenness, in recent months, as very well-interested groups across our and even international bodies have carried the mention of this particular bill. The question is, is the topic of this discussion new? Definitely not,” she affirmed, adding, “If we do this now, the 10th [Assembly] will go down in the history of our legislature as a set that stood for women when we counted the most. This is the time to take care of our girls and boys.”

The First Lady praised global examples where gender measures enhanced governance inclusivity and urged Nigeria to adopt similar progressive steps. “Nigeria can and should also benefit from such progressive ideologies. And in whatever way the results speak for women here before, or any other measure that supports women I trust in your collective wisdom, your experience, and your patriotism to steer the nation towards the solution that is constitutionally sound and politically located,” she said.