Nigeria: Breaking - Bill to Create Extra 74 Seats for Women in Parliament Passes Second Reading

Thomson Reuters Foundation
Women queue to cast their ballots in Nigeria's parliamentary elections in the northern (file photo)
9 July 2024
Premium Times (Abuja)
By Bakare Majeed

The bill, among others, proposes to amend Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution to provide one special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the FCT.

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and state assemblies.

The bill, jointly sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, and 12 others, was debated on the floor, with several members vehemently opposing it.

It proposes to creat one senatorial seat and one House seat in each state and the FCT.

It seeks to amend Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution to provide one special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the FCT, effective after the term of the current National Assembly and subject to review every 16 years.

Additionally, the bill seeks to amend Section 91 of the document to provide three special seats reserved exclusively for women in the Houses of Assembly of each state of the federation, which shall be spread across the three senatorial districts of each state.

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