100 Women Groups Sue FG Over 35% Female Participation, Hearing Nov 24

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday fixed November 24 for a suit filed by a coalition of over 100 women organisations for the Federal Government to implement the 35 per cent affirmative action.

The court fixed the date following the inability of Justice Donatus Okorowo, to hear the case.

Justice Okorowo, who had earlier presided over some matters in the morning, could not continue with other cases due to another official assignment.

The plaintiffs in the suit were the Incorporated Trustees of Nigerian Women Trust Fund; Women Empowerment Legal Aid and Centre for Democracy and Development (West Africa.)

Others were Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Vision Spring Initiative and Women in Politics Forum.

The Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), were listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABC/CS/1006/2020.

The groups had sought the order of the court to ensure the 35 per cent affirmative action policy of the Federal Government as contained in the National Gender Policy, 2006, in the governance of Nigeria, among others.

Recall that Marshal Abubakar of the Falana and Falana Chambers represented the plaintiffs in court.

The plaintiffs want, among others, a declaration that the failure of the 1st defendant to implement the 35 per cent affirmative action policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria is illegal, unlawful, null and an arbitrary violation of the National Gender Policy, 2006