Special Seats Bill: NAWOJ Demands Gender Equity in Nigeria Politics

Members of the Adamawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) held a rally on Monday, urging the immediate passage of the proposed Special Seats Bill to correct persistent gender disparities in the nation’s political leadership.

The demonstration, held at the NUJ Press Centre in Yola, framed the legislation as a fundamental requirement for achieving gender equity and strengthening democracy in Nigeria. Protesters displayed placards with messages such as “Adamawa Women Say Yes to Special Seats Bill” and “4% Women in Leadership Not Enough.”

Addressing journalists, Felicia Dauda, Chairperson of NAWOJ Adamawa, presented data underscoring the severe underrepresentation of women. She noted that in the 10th National Assembly, only 21 of 469 members are women, constituting 4.2 per cent. This breaks down to four women in the 109-member Senate (3.7 per cent) and 17 in the 360-member House of Representatives (4.7 per cent). The situation at the state level is similarly dire, with only one woman in Adamawa’s 25-member House of Assembly. Nationally, 13 of Nigeria’s 36 states have no female lawmakers in their assemblies.

“Adamawa’s federal representation tells the same unacceptable story,” Dauda stated, highlighting that all three senators and eight House of Representatives members from the state are men. She contrasted this with demographic realities, noting that women comprise nearly half of Nigeria’s estimated 220 million population but remain largely excluded from key decision-making roles. Dauda argued that this marginalisation constitutes a governance crisis, impacting policy quality, democratic integrity, and national development. She called on the state’s federal legislators and the Adamawa State House of Assembly to support and ratify the bill.

The rally received backing from other prominent women leaders. Habiba Bakari, President of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Adamawa Chapter, linked female political participation to improved social outcomes, suggesting it could help reduce maternal and child healthcare challenges. Rebecca Kwabe, Chairperson of the National Council of Women Society, Adamawa State, emphasized that women must be granted meaningful opportunities to contribute to the state’s and nation’s development.

The Special Seats Bill proposes to reserve a specified percentage of legislative seats for women, a mechanism aimed at rapidly bridging the representation gap. Advocates contend that without such affirmative action, parity will take decades to achieve through conventional electoral processes. TheNAWOJ-led protest underscores a growing, nationwide demand for legislative intervention to align Nigeria’s political architecture with its constitutional commitments to equality and its demographic profile. The push now places direct pressure on federal and state lawmakers to act, positioning the bill’s passage as a critical test of commitment to inclusive governance.