“APC Marches Forward With Seats Reservation Agenda In Legislature”

APC Confident Special Seats Bill for Women Will Pass, Citing Support from Leadership and Gender-Inclusive Agenda

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed strong confidence that the Special Seats Bill—which seeks to increase women’s political representation by creating temporary, women-only legislative seats—will be passed by both the National and State Assemblies.

According to iReporter Online, the bill proposes the addition of 37 seats to the Senate, 74 seats to the House of Representatives, and several more to the state Houses of Assembly. These positions would be exclusively contested by women as part of a strategic effort to correct gender imbalance in Nigeria’s political space.

During an interactive session at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, the party’s Deputy National Women Leader, Hajia Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim, outlined ongoing efforts to dismantle systemic barriers preventing women from fully participating in governance and decision-making processes. She emphasized that financial constraints remain a major obstacle, one the party is addressing by waiving nomination and expression of interest form fees for female aspirants.

“We know that politics in Nigeria is capital-intensive, and women often don’t have the financial muscle to compete with men,” she said. “Our decision to offer zero-cost nomination forms is aimed at leveling the playing field.”

According to iReporter Online, Ibrahim also highlighted the party’s continuous advocacy—both within its internal structures and at the National Assembly—as a sign of its commitment to gender equity. She noted that the APC women’s wing has conducted several strategic visits to the National Working Committee (NWC) and legislative stakeholders to rally support for the bill.

“We have majority leaders in both chambers who are members of our party. That gives us a strong advantage,” she noted. “Our advocacy is being heard, and we are confident that the bill will be passed swiftly.”

She further praised President Bola Tinubu for fostering a gender-inclusive environment, recalling his support for his wife’s three-term Senate career.

According to iReporter Online, party insiders believe that Tinubu’s gender-friendly posture has galvanized internal momentum to ensure the bill’s success.

Hajia Zainab concluded by affirming that, with continued support from the party and the legislature, the landmark bill could be signed into law before the end of President Tinubu’s first term—cementing his legacy as a champion of women’s inclusion in politics.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”