N/Assembly Mulls 74 Additional Seats For Women

The National Assembly could also be contemplating creating extra 74 seats within the Senate and House of Representatives for girls as a part of the continuing of the 1999 Construction.

Similarly, three extra seats are additionally being thought of completely girls in every of the 36 states House of Assembly with out displacing present federal and state constituencies.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele dropped the trace on Monday on the 2026 Law Week organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Chapter.

According to Bamidele, who’s Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, the proposal seeks to create 37 extra seats every within the Senate and House of Representatives, guaranteeing that each state and the Federal Capital Territory will get one reserved seat in each chambers.

He mentioned the initiative, which is receiving legislative consideration, was the product of intensive consultations and consensus-building, including that it was designed to deepen girls’s participation in governance.

“The proposal, as it stands, is meticulous in its design. It seeks to add 37 seats in the Senate and 37 seats in the House of Representatives,” he mentioned.

Bamidele additional disclosed that the proposed reserved seats would function for 16 years, protecting 4 electoral cycles, after which the association would bear a complete overview.

He expressed confidence that the proposal would safe the required two-thirds approval of state assemblies, noting that their concurrence was constitutionally crucial for the modification to take impact.

Describing the initiative as a non-partisan reform, the Senate Leader argued that excluding girls, who represent greater than half of the inhabitants, from decision-making undermines consultant democracy. He additionally acknowledged the advocacy of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu in advancing the push for higher feminine illustration.

Bamidele known as for stronger authorized protections for girls and youngsters, insisting that justice should be accessible, reasonably priced, well timed and efficient. He mentioned victims of home violence and little one abuse should obtain authorized, medical and psychosocial help, whereas perpetrators needs to be held accountable below the regulation.

The occasion was attended by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, Steve Fatoba, and Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, amongst different dignitaries.