Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has announced that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill will be voted on alongside other constitutional amendments when plenary resumes in October. He emphasized the urgent need for continued advocacy and stakeholder engagement, stating that “justice delayed is democracy denied.”
Speaking at a Roundtable Reception organized by The Osasu Show with support from the Embassy of Switzerland in Abuja, Kalu the bill’s sponsor made it clear that the initiative is not driven by sentiment but by evidence, reason, and a national imperative to deepen democracy.
Citing statistics, Kalu highlighted the vast gender disparity in Nigeria’s political space:
-
Only 3.8% of National Assembly members are women.
-
Out of 991 seats in State Assemblies, just 45 are held by women.
-
Nigeria has zero female governors.
-
Women make up 49.3% of the population yet remain largely excluded from power.
He urged women’s groups to intensify lobbying efforts and reach out to influential figures including religious leaders, political influencers, the spouses of parliamentarians, and prominent women to build broad support for the bill.
Kalu stressed that the bill aligns with both the 10th House’s legislative agenda under Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes equity, justice, and inclusion.
He also called on political parties to open their ranks to women not just as supporters but as candidates and leaders. To the media, he encouraged a shift in narrative: “Tell this story not as tokenism but as transformation.”
Finally, Kalu extended an open invitation to civil society, development partners, and political institutions to collaborate with his office on technical insight, advocacy, training, and implementation.
”When women rise, nations do not merely progress, they prosper. This bill is not a favour; it’s a framework for fairness. Let’s make history together.” —Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu
Source: guardian
