The Delta State House of Assembly has pledged support for the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to create additional legislative seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, as advocacy intensifies for greater female representation in Nigeria’s political institutions.
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The assurance was given in Asaba when a delegation of the Nigerian League of Women Voters (NILOWV), Delta State Chapter, visited the Assembly to seek lawmakers’ support for the Special Seats Bill and strengthen collaboration on women’s political participation and gender-responsive legislation.
Speaking on behalf of the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, the Deputy Leader, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo, said the Assembly was sympathetic to the objectives of the proposal and would support efforts aimed at giving women greater opportunities to participate in governance.
Guwor, who was away on a state assignment, had participated in advocacy engagements concerning the proposed special seats at the national level and, according to Akpowowo, directed lawmakers to assure the delegation of the Assembly’s support.
“I have the privilege to represent Mr. Speaker,” Akpowowo said, adding that the Speaker had instructed him and other lawmakers to tell the delegation that “we are with you all the way.”
“The answer you want to hear is that we will support the special seats for women,” he added.
Akpowowo said creating opportunities for women in governance should be viewed in terms of complementarity rather than competition between male and female legislators.
He noted the roles women play in families, communities, professional life and national development, arguing that political institutions should provide adequate opportunities for them to participate in decision-making.
The visit comes amid continuing debate over the Special Seats for Women Bill, a proposed alteration of the 1999 Constitution intended to address the low representation of women in Nigeria’s legislatures.
The current proposal before the National Assembly is designed as a temporary special measure. Under the revised model, it proposes two additional female senators from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, one additional female member of the House of Representatives for each state and the Federal Capital Territory, and three additional female members in every State House of Assembly — one from each senatorial district. The additional seats would be filled through an electoral-college system supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The proposal would therefore create 12 additional Senate seats for women, 37 additional seats in the House of Representatives and 108 additional seats across the 36 State Houses of Assembly if eventually enacted in its present form.
Women would not be restricted to the special seats and could continue to contest existing regular constituencies. Those elected through the proposed special-seat arrangement would enjoy the same status, tenure, rights, privileges and obligations as lawmakers occupying ordinary seats. The current draft also provides for the arrangement to be reviewed after 16 years.
Presenting NILOWV’s position on behalf of its Delta State Chairperson, Hon. Mrs. Faith Majemite, State Vice Chairperson Princess Christina Uyoyou Ekokoruwe described the organisation as a non-partisan, non-religious, non-tribal and non-profit grassroots civic body committed to the political and economic empowerment of Nigerian women.
She said the League was involved in civic education, political inclusion, economic empowerment, protection of women against violence in politics and social support for vulnerable women and girls.
Ekokoruwe told the lawmakers that despite the contributions of women to business, professional practice, community development and political mobilisation, they remained significantly underrepresented in elective and legislative positions.
She consequently appealed to the Delta Assembly to lend its voice and legislative support to the Special Seats Bill.
According to the League, increasing women’s presence in legislative institutions would allow more women to participate directly in lawmaking, public policy formulation and decisions affecting communities across the country.
“This Bill is not about competition; it is about complementarity, balance and harnessing the full potential of Delta State for development,” the League said.
The organisation maintained that the proposal should not be regarded as an attempt to displace existing lawmakers but as an intervention aimed at addressing the longstanding gender imbalance in Nigeria’s elected legislatures.
The current Special Seats proposal is among the constitutional alteration bills being considered by the National Assembly. As of September 16, however, it had not yet completed the constitutional amendment process or been transmitted to State Houses of Assembly for formal ratification. The National Assembly subsequently clarified that only the State Police constitutional amendment had so far been forwarded to the states; the Special Seats proposal remained among amendments still undergoing legislative consideration.
That distinction means the assurance given by the Delta Assembly at the NILOWV meeting represents political and legislative support for the proposal rather than a formal constitutional ratification vote at this stage.
If the proposal eventually secures the constitutionally required two-thirds majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, it would still require approval by resolutions of at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly 24 states under Section 9 of the Constitution.
The campaign for special seats has gained renewed attention during the ongoing constitutional review. The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre says the proposal is intended as a temporary constitutional measure to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in elective legislative offices.
Also speaking during the visit, the member representing Oshimili South Constituency, Hon. Barr. Bridget Anyafulu, commended NILOWV for its advocacy and identified with its demand for greater representation of women.
Anyafulu said she would adopt the presentation made by the organisation and highlighted provisions of the proposal dealing with reserved or additional seats for women.
She said creating more opportunities for women to participate in legislative institutions would strengthen their involvement in policymaking and governance, pointing to the contributions already being made by female members of the Delta Assembly.
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