By Chimezie Godfrey
The Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) and The Electoral Hub have called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the proposed Special Seats Bill for women in order to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political leadership.
The organisations made the call in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 International Women’s Day.
Director of IRIAD and The Electoral Hub, Princess Hamman-Obels, said the bill represents a crucial opportunity to correct long-standing structural imbalances in women’s political representation.
“Nigeria stands at a decisive moment. The Special Seats Bill for Women presents a clear opportunity to address one of the most enduring gaps in our democracy: the systemic underrepresentation of women in public policy, political leadership and decision-making,” she said.
Hamman-Obels noted that despite growing advocacy, the bill has remained unpassed while millions of Nigerian women continue to face political exclusion.
“This is not a matter of ‘if’, it is a matter of when, and the ‘when’ must be now,” she said.
She cited statistics showing that women currently occupy less than 10 per cent of seats in the National Assembly.
“Women hold less than 10 per cent of seats in the National Assembly, with about 3.6 per cent in the Senate and 4.17 per cent in the House of Representatives,” she said.
According to her, the proposed legislation is designed as a corrective measure to expand opportunities for women in governance.
“This Bill does not prevent women from contesting in existing constituencies. Rather, it is additive, corrective and temporary, designed to address a long-standing structural imbalance in political representation,” she stated.
Hamman-Obels expressed concern about delays in the constitutional amendment process, warning that the approach of the 2027 general elections makes urgent action necessary.
“With the 2027 general elections approaching, the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing. Each month of delay further entrenches a political system in which Nigerian women remain structurally excluded from decision-making spaces,” she said.
She urged the National Assembly to pass the bill without further delay and transmit it to state Houses of Assembly for ratification.
Hamman-Obels also called on political parties to adopt internal gender quotas for candidate selection and urged the media and civil society organisations to intensify advocacy for women’s representation.
“On this International Women’s Day, the message is clear and urgent: Rights. Justice. Action. Pass the Special Seats for Women Bill now, because half a nation cannot continue to wait for equitable representation,” she added.
Group demands urgent passage of women’s Special Seats Bill
