Reps reject bill for special seats for women in parliament

The House of Representatives has rejected a bill seeking to reserve special seats for Women at the National and State Houses of Assembly.
This followed the rejection of the bill at the electronic voting on the amendment of 1999 Constitution on Tuesday in Abuja.
The bill entitled,” A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide For Special Seats for Women at the National and State Houses of Assembly”.
Eight-one lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while 208 voted against it and 13 members abstained from voting.
Present at the voting was Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who tried to lobby for the adoption of the bill by the lawmakers.
Dolapo was accompanied by Mrs Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Women Affairs, Civil Society Organisations and women groups.
The lawmakers also rejected a bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the 1999 constitution to provide for affirmative action for women in political party administration.

Two hundred and twenty-four lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, falling short of the required 240 votes needed to pass the ball.

But the House via a voice vote adopted a bill seeking for a minimum percentage of women in either ministerial or commissioner appointment.

The bill entitled, “a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide a Minimum Percentage for Women in Ministerial or Commissioner Nominees.”

This, however, was not without the intervention of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and some lawmakers who pleaded with their colleagues to allow the bill to be passed.