National Assembly Set for Historic Vote on Women’s Reserved Seats—Kalu Declares

The Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has confirmed that the National Assembly will vote on the proposed Special Seats Bill for Women when it reconvenes after its annual recess.

According to statements made available to iReporter Online, Kalu reaffirmed his commitment to the bill during a roundtable on the Reserved Seats for Women, hosted in Abuja with support from the Embassy of Switzerland. Speaking as the sponsor of the legislation, he emphasized that the proposal is driven not by sentiment but by the harsh realities of Nigeria’s political representation gaps.

Kalu stressed that the bill is anchored in the principle that delaying justice effectively denies democracy. He lamented that although women make up nearly half of Nigeria’s 220 million population, they continue to be underrepresented at all levels of government. He pointed out that only 19 women currently serve in the entire 10th National Assembly—15 in the House of Representatives and just four in the Senate. Notably, none of Nigeria’s 36 states is governed by a woman, and only 45 of the 991 seats in State Assemblies are held by women.

He urged advocacy groups, influencers, political figures, and the media to intensify their efforts to rally support, warning that time is of the essence, with fewer than 60 days left to act before the bill is brought to vote.

Kalu called on religious leaders, spouses of lawmakers, political influencers, and notable women leaders to take an active role in lobbying for the bill. He advised that the language of advocacy should shift toward emotional and strategic persuasion to secure meaningful legislative backing.

The Deputy Speaker noted that gender inclusion is central to the legislative priorities of the current House under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. He linked the initiative to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said champions equity, justice, and equal opportunity through transformative policies and appointments.

He also appealed to political parties to embrace internal reform by opening their ranks to women as key stakeholders—not just as supporters but also as candidates and decision-makers.

Kalu encouraged media professionals to present the bill not as tokenism but as a blueprint for national transformation. In his words, “A nation cannot fly with one wing.”

He concluded by calling on all Nigerians, regardless of gender or background, to stand behind the bill, asserting that empowering women is not only just but vital to the nation’s prosperity and healing.