Abia Stakeholders Sign Pact To Support Reserved Seats Bill

 In a unified call for gender-balanced governance, political stakeholders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women’s groups, as well as persons with disabilities, gathered at the Ministry of Women Affairs, to champion the passage of the landmark Special Seats Bill (HB 1349),a legislative proposal aimed at securing reserved seats for women in Nigeria’s federal and state legislatures.

Organized under the theme “Advancing Women’s Inclusion in Leadership and Political Processes in Nigeria”, the high-level town hall meeting culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Abia State Chapter, in collaboration with Lawyers Alert, Abia Central Senatorial Zone Women, and other civil society allies. The bill, supported by UN Women, seeks to correct the historical gender imbalance in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Declaring the meeting open, the Abia State Commissioner for Women Affairs,Dr. Maureen Aghukwa described the bill as a practical and urgent step toward justice and equity.

“Reserved seats for women in governance are not about privilege; they are about righting long-standing wrongs and giving women the space they have always deserved in leadership,” she said.

“The concept of reserved seats is not about tokenism.  It is about creating an enabling environment  for women  to contribute their perspectives, experiences,and skills to the development of our nation. It is about empiering women to sit at the decision -making table and help shape policies that reflect the needs of every segment of our society,men ,women and children alike.”

According to Dr. Aghukwa, Nigeria currently ranks among the lowest globally in terms of female political representation, with women occupying less than 5% of legislative seats. “We must stop seeing women’s inclusion as a favour. It is a strategic investment in our nation’s democratic future,” she added.

“Let this town hall meeting be the beginning of a bold step towards legislative action,policy reform and societal transformation. Let us collectively push for constitutional amendments  and electoral frameworks that will guarantee a minimum no of seats exclusively reserved for women in local, state and national assemblies.

The Special Seats Bill (HB 1349), sponsored by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu, proposes amendments to sections 48, 49, 77, 91, and 117 of the Constitution to provide one senatorial seat, one House of Representatives seat, and three State House of Assembly seats per state exclusively for women. If passed, it would guarantee at least 182 legislative seats for women across Nigeria. The measure is designed as a Temporary Special Measure to be reviewed after three electoral cycles (12 years), aligning with international best practices seen in Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa.

In her keynote address, Hon. Dame Blessing Nwagba, Chairperson of the Nigerian League of Women Voters (NILOWV), stressed that the bill is more than a gender issue,it is a democratic necessity.
“It’s time to dismantle the structures that have kept women at the margins. This bill gives women the political voice they need to shape Nigeria’s future,” she said.

Comrade Josephine Ogwo, Chairperson of NAWOJ Abia State Chapter, hailed the event as a significant leap forward for constitutional reform, urging the development of clear advocacy strategies to support the bill at all levels.

Traditional leaders, youth groups, and party officials pledged support for the bill, with the Deputy Chairman of Umuahia North Local Government calling for stronger grassroots mobilization to sustain women’s political gains.

Echoing inclusivity beyond gender, Nwakanma Blessing, coordinator of the PWD League of Women Voters, emphasized the need for the reform to also reflect the voices of women living with disabilities.
“We matter. We lead. And we must be included in this transformative journey,” she declared.

A copy of the MoU made available to the press cited the poor outcome of the 2023 general elections, where women occupied only 3% of Senate seats, 4% in the House of Representatives, and just 48 out of 990 positions in State Assemblies—far below the global average of 26.5%.

The town hall meeting is part of a nationwide series taking place across eight states and will serve as a critical input during the upcoming National Assembly public hearing on the bill scheduled for next week.

With a shared resolve from all quarters, the Special Seats Bill is poised to usher in a new era of inclusive governance, giving Nigerian women the political platform they deserve and fortifying the nation’s democratic values.