Reps’ Spouses, Centre Seek Stronger Women’s Advocacy On Reserved Seats Bill

The House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA) has proposed a strategic partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) to intensify advocacy and lobbying efforts for the passage of the Reserved Seats Bill aimed at boosting women’s representation in governance.

The proposal was made in Abuja by the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, during a courtesy visit by HORSA to PLAC headquarters.

Mrs Abbas said the association was prepared to leverage its unique position and network to mobilise support for the bill within the National Assembly and beyond.

According to her, the Reserved Seats Bill represents more than a constitutional amendment and described it as a pathway towards building a more inclusive and equitable democracy.

She said that despite progress recorded in advancing women’s participation in politics, significant gaps remained in representation across governance structures.

Hajia Abbas said achieving the objectives of the bill would require strategic collaboration, sustained advocacy and deliberate engagement with stakeholders.

She therefore urged PLAC to jointly convene a high-level workshop bringing together legislators, advocates, development partners, and policy experts to develop practical strategies to strengthen support for the proposed legislation.

“It is therefore our proposal that PLAC explore the opportunity of jointly convening a high-level strategic workshop that brings together key stakeholders, advocates, legislators, development partners and thought leaders to critically examine practical approaches for strengthening advocacy, influence and lobbying efforts in support of the Reserved Seats Bill,” she said.

She added that such a platform would help identify champions of the bill, build consensus and generate momentum towards securing its passage.

Abbas expressed confidence that a collaboration between HORSA and PLAC would significantly advance efforts to ensure more women participate in decision-making processes at all levels of government.

Also, the chairman of the House Committee on Humanitarian Services, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, dismissed concerns that the bill was designed to undermine male politicians.

She said many opponents had misunderstood the proposal, arguing that it was not intended to displace men from existing elective positions.

“My personal opinion is that this bill is not a challenge to the old-boy network. Unfortunately, the bill has been largely misunderstood because many men see it as a challenge to their authority,” she said.

Akande-Sadipe maintained that no man would lose a seat as a result of the proposal because the measure sought to expand representation rather than replace existing positions.

Earlier, the executive director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, described the Special Seats Bill as one of the most important legislative issues before the 10th National Assembly.

Nwankwo said the bill sought to address the longstanding underrepresentation of women in the National Assembly, particularly in the Senate.

He recalled that similar efforts failed during the 9th National Assembly but noted that the current proposal had made greater progress under the 10th Assembly.

In her remarks, Hadiza Alao Akila, said increasing women’s participation in leadership positions would strengthen democracy and make governance more inclusive.

She argued that Nigeria could not realise its full development potential while women remained largely excluded from decision-making.

Akila described the Special Seats Bill as a practical mechanism for expanding women’s participation in government and ensuring broader representation across the country’s democratic institutions.