By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) has called on the National Assem...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) has called on the National Assembly to fast-track the passage of the Additional/Reserved Seats Bill for Women, which seeks to create exclusive seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
The appeal was made during a public hearing of the 1999 Constitutional Review Committee held in Kaduna State.
Speaking at the session, the Secretary-General of WRAPA, Hajiya Saudatu S. Mahdi, described the Bill as a critical step toward promoting inclusive governance and accelerating national development.
“If passed, it will position Nigeria for accelerated, inclusive development and align us with other progressive nations advancing gender-balanced governance,” Mahdi said.
WRAPA presented several key recommendations on the Bill, including the creation of a special constituency structure for women contesting the additional seats. The group also proposed that the reserved seats take effect after the current tenure of the National and State Assemblies and be limited to 16 years—covering four electoral cycles—after which a review would determine its continuation, adjustment, or repeal.
In addition to the Additional Seats Bill, WRAPA urged the National Assembly to prioritize electoral reforms, particularly the process for appointing the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We recommend an independent panel-led selection process, modeled after the 2008 Justice Uwais Committee recommendations and Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) framework,” Hajiya Mahdi stated.
According to WRAPA, such reform would promote impartiality, strengthen INEC’s independence, restore public confidence in the electoral process, and align Nigeria with international democratic standards.
The women’s advocacy group concluded by urging lawmakers to treat the Additional/Reserved Seats Bill and electoral reforms as national development priorities.
“We respectfully urge for the accelerated passage, state-level adoption, and Presidential assent to this Bill as a matter of national importance,” Mahdi said.
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