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Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Sam Nkire, has expressed confidence that the National Assembly would reconsider the passage of the bill which seeks special seats for women in the national and state assemblies, in the near future.
Reacting to the fate of the bill which suffered a setback at the recent constitutional amendment session at the National Assembly, Nkire said Nigeria was too prominent on the global stage to play second fiddle in gender rights and parity issues.
The Abia State-born APC leader assured Nigerian women that his party, being a progressive party, was sensitive and supportive to development issues affecting women, youth, girl-child and the vulnerable in the society.
Nkire said his party’s manifesto and ideology favoured the international affirmative action as was enunciated in Beijing, China in 1995, saying “passing of the bill is just a matter of when and not if.”
He advised champions of the bill, who include Abia State-born Nkiruka Onyejiocha, among others, not to be discouraged by the setback, but to re-introduce it without delay.
Chief Nkire also appealed to members of the national assembly to put into consideration the overwhelming support the bill has among the Nigerian populace, when next it comes to the legislature.
He commended the support of the Nigerian women in particular, who were led by the Wife of the President, Aisha Bihari and also recalled the courageous role played by the former First Lady Mariam Abacha, in putting Nigeria at it’s rightful place during the landmark Beijing conference of 1995.
