On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill for a second reading. This bill aims to change the constitution to add more seats for women in both the National and State Assemblies.

The bill is supported by Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu and 12 others. It was discussed in the House, but many members opposed it strongly. The bill proposes adding one Senate seat and one House seat for women in each state and the FCT. It aims to change Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution to reserve special seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives. These changes will take effect after the current National Assembly’s term and will be reviewed every 16 years. It also seeks to amend Section 91 to provide three special seats for women in the State Houses of Assembly, spread across the three senatorial districts of each state.

Joshua Gana (PDP, Niger) led the debate for the bill. He said the House needs to address gender inequality in Nigeria’s governance. Gana highlighted that the bill is based on fair representation and aims to empower women by ensuring their active participation in legislation and the country’s development. He emphasized that gender equality is central to constitutional democracy.

Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), the Minority Leader, supported the bill. He said the bill addresses gender inequality, which is a significant issue in Nigeria. Chinda pointed out that Nigeria has the lowest gender representation in Africa and stressed the need for this legislation to close the gap.