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The House of Representatives has introduced a significant bill aimed at amending Section 49 of the 1999 Constitution to create six special seats dedicated to women and people living with disabilities (PWDs).
The proposed legislation, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) (Six Special Seats for Special Interest Groups) Bill, 2024 (HB.1811),” was presented during a plenary session on Wednesday.
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Spearheaded by House Spokesman Akintunde Rotimi (Ekiti, APC), the amendment seeks to expand the number of representatives in the House from 360 to 366, with the additional six seats specifically reserved for women and PWDs.
The bill outlines that these special seats will be allocated evenly across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, ensuring that each region has one representative from both women and PWDs.
Candidates for these positions must fulfill all standard qualifications required for regular House members.
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Elections for these roles will be conducted via an electoral college comprising members from the National Associations of each special interest group, incorporating grassroots and regional input through a multi-tiered election process.
Once elected, these representatives will serve the same term as their counterparts and will receive the same benefits as other House members, as specified in the legislation.
Rotimi emphasized that the bill is designed to bolster representation for women and individuals with disabilities, who frequently face significant barriers to political engagement.
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“The inclusion of these special seats will ensure that the voices of underrepresented groups are heard at the national level, fostering a more balanced and inclusive legislative framework for Nigeria,” he stated.
In related news, House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen recently proposed a constitutional amendment to allocate legislative seats for women and ensure their participation in joint tickets for executive roles.
Furthermore, the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has criticized the current representation of women in Nigeria’s National Assembly, which stands at less than 10%.
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Titilayo Daniel, a representative of NILDS, raised this concern during a town hall meeting in Sagamu, Ogun State, focused on enhancing women’s political representation.
Addressing over 100 grassroots female politicians, Daniel highlighted the “stark gender disparity” within the National Assembly, stating, “With women constituting less than 10% of the Assembly, the voices of over half our population are largely absent from key decision-making processes. This statistic is embarrassing for Nigeria, especially when compared to other African nations like Rwanda, which boasts a 61.3% representation.”
Daniel also pointed out the persistent challenges Nigerian women face in political participation, citing structural barriers and discriminatory laws as significant obstacles.
