Postponement of Special Seats Bill: Governors will mobilise NASS members for action – Mutfwang

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Governor of Plateau State Caleb Mutfwang has assured that members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) will mobilise their colleagues in the 10th National Assembly to act decisively on HB 1349—the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.

He spoke shortly after the much-anticipated vote on the Constitutional Amendment Bills, including HB 1349, was postponed, sparking both disappointment and renewed calls for support from governors and political stakeholders.

Speaking at the 6th annual summit of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum themed “United for Change: Men and Women Ending Digital Violence Together,” Mutfwang, representing NGF Chairman and Kwara Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, expressed strong support for the bill:

“We are equally supportive of the initiative and campaign for women to have special seats in the Nigerian Parliament,” Governor Mutfwang said. “We believe in it, and we are supporting it whole-heartedly. I want to assure you that the Governors will mobilise their members in the National Assembly to do the needful.”

The Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, also responded to the postponement with a broader call to action:

“We hear the debate for the special seat bill has been postponed again. The call is for more than just legislation. We want our political parties to engage with us and ensure that women are not targets in this process,” she said. “We also have a personal responsibility to raise awareness and prevent digital violence. Studies show that one in five women in the UK face such abuse, but in Nigeria, the figure is as high as 63%.”