NEWS
N’Assembly Moves To Break Male Dominance, Proposes 74 Extra Seats For Women, 108 in State Assemblies
N’Assembly Moves To Break Male Dominance, Proposes 74 Extra Seats For Women, 108 in State Assemblies
The National Assembly has proposed 74 additional seats for women, comprising 37 each in the Senate and House of Representatives, under the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
The proposal also seeks 108 reserved seats for women across the 36 state Houses of Assembly, with three additional seats allocated to each state.
The special-seat arrangement is proposed to run for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, before a comprehensive review, without displacing existing elected lawmakers.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele says the initiative is aimed at addressing women’s underrepresentation in political decision-making, adding that the committee is engaging state legislatures to secure the required approval.
November 2, () – The National Assembly has proposed the creation of 182 additional legislative seats reserved for women across the country’s federal and state legislatures as part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
The proposal comprises 74 additional seats in the National Assembly, with 37 each in the Senate and House of Representatives, and another 108 seats across the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Under the proposed arrangement, each state would have one additional seat for women in the Senate, one in the House of Representatives and three in its House of Assembly.
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The initiative is designed to increase women’s representation in legislative institutions without displacing existing elected representatives.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the proposal on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Law Week organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Chapter.
Channel
Bamidele, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said a bill seeking to provide special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly was receiving attention at the National Assembly.
“A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly and for related matters is receiving our attention at the National Assembly,” he said.
37 Seats Each For Senate, House of Representatives
Giving details of the proposal, Bamidele said the constitutional amendment would create 37 additional seats in the Senate and another 37 in the House of Representatives.
He explained that the arrangement would give each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory one additional seat in each chamber, specifically reserved for women.
According to him, the proposal was carefully designed to expand women’s legislative representation without affecting the existing electoral constituencies or displacing serving lawmakers.
“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.
“This suggests that if finally approved, each state of the federation, including FCT, will have one additional seat in each of the Houses of the National Assembly,” he said.
Bamidele further disclosed that the constitution review committee had proposed three additional seats reserved for women in each of the 36 state Houses of Assembly. This would bring the total number of additional seats proposed for women in state legislatures to 108.
He said the special-seat arrangement was proposed to operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which its implementation and impact would be subjected to a comprehensive review.
Bamidele described the proposed 16-year period as a sunset clause intended to provide an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the initiative and encourage the development of a more inclusive political culture.
“This arrangement is proposed to run for a period of 16 years, four electoral cycles, before a comprehensive review. This is a sunset clause designed to ensure sustainability and to allow for the organic development of a more inclusive political culture,” he said.
He added that the committee was already engaging state Houses of Assembly to secure their support, noting that their concurrence was constitutionally required for the proposed amendment to become effective.
“We are actively and strategically engaging with the State Houses of Assembly, as their concurrence is a constitutional sine qua non for bringing this reform to fruition,” he said.
The House of Representatives
Initiative Not a Partisan Project
Bamidele said the proposed special seats were not intended to advance the interests of any political party but were designed to address the longstanding underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions.
He said the resolve of the 10th National Assembly to pursue the initiative had been strengthened by advocacy and support from prominent figures, including the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Bamidele maintained that representative democracy required the inclusion of women in decision-making processes, arguing that a political system that excluded a significant proportion of its population could not adequately reflect the interests of the people.
“The special seat initiative is not a partisan endeavour but a historic imperative. The rationale is anchored on a simple, yet profound, principle of constitutional law: the foundational precept of representative democracy.
“A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their futures is, at best, a flawed democracy and, at worst, a veiled oligarchy,” he said.
The proposed amendment is coming against the background of persistent concerns over the low number of women elected into political offices in Nigeria, particularly the National Assembly and state legislatures.
Although women constitute a significant proportion of the country’s population and participate in political activities, their representation in elective legislative positions has remained limited.
The special-seat proposal is one of the measures being considered under the ongoing constitutional review to expand women’s access to legislative offices.
Beyond the proposed increase in legislative representation, Bamidele called for stronger legal and institutional measures to protect vulnerable groups, particularly women, children and persons with disabilities.
He said government had a responsibility to provide adequate social protection where market structures and traditional arrangements failed to protect vulnerable members of society.
According to him, legislative interventions should strengthen access to healthcare, education and social protection programmes targeted at disadvantaged groups.
“We were mindful of the reality that the state must intervene to provide a robust safety net where the market and tradition fail.
“This recognition is translated into legislative support for healthcare initiatives, educational access, and social protection programmes that are meticulously targeted at the most vulnerable demographics: our women, our children, and persons with disabilities,” he said.
On the protection of women and children against abuse, the Senate Leader said Nigeria’s legal framework must respond to emerging threats that cross geographical boundaries and exploit weaknesses in existing systems.
He stressed that access to justice should go beyond constitutional guarantees and statutory provisions to ensure that victims of abuse could obtain protection and necessary support without intimidation or unnecessary delays.
“Justice must be more than a promise merely expressed in the Constitution or a provision enshrined in our statute books. Rather, it must be accessible, affordable, timely, and effective,” he said.
Bamidele said women experiencing domestic violence should be able to seek protection without intimidation or social condemnation, while children who suffer abuse must be heard, protected from further harm and provided with appropriate support.
He also called for victims to have access to legal assistance, medical care and psychosocial services, while perpetrators should be held accountable in accordance with due process and the rule of law.
“A woman who suffers domestic violence must be able to seek protection without intimidation or social condemnation. A child who experiences abuse must be heard, protected from further harm, and provided with appropriate support.
“Victims must have access to legal assistance, medical care, and psychosocial services, while perpetrators must be held accountable in accordance with due process and the rule of law,” he said.
The 2026 FIDA Law Week was attended by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, Steve Fatoba, and the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, among other dignitaries.
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