Special seats: History beckons on Tajudeen Abbas’ vision for Nigerian women
BY LEKE BAIYEWU
Nigerians are on the brink of a significant milestone in the nation's history as the National Assembly prepares to vote on bills seeking various amendments to the 1999 Constitution. Among these amendment bills is the Special Seats Bill (HB1349), which aims to empower women in politics and governance. This legislation has garnered substantial attention, particularly due to the active interest shown by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. Speaker Abbas has been vocal about gender equality and justice, advocating for these causes on various platforms, both locally and internationally.
What exactly are the proposals all about? On July 23, 2025, Speaker Abbas addressed stakeholders at a Town Hall and Strategic Round Table on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill. He explained, "As you are aware, the statistics on women's under-representation are alarming. That's why the current proposals before the National Assembly on enhancing women's inclusion are both urgent and practical. Several related bills are under consideration, and we must understand their specific content. HB 1189, HB 1349, and HB 1421 each propose, in addition to the current three senators from each state and one senator from the Federal Capital Territory, one additional senator for each state and the FCT who shall be a woman."
For the House of Representatives, HB 1189 and HB 1421 suggest, in addition to the current 360 members, two additional members for each state and the FCT who shall be women, while HB 1349 proposes one additional Member for each state and the FCT who shall be a woman. For the State Houses of Assembly, both HB 1189 and HB 1349 propose one additional member from each of the three senatorial districts in the state who shall be a woman. To accommodate these changes, all three bills suggest that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should divide each state into two federal constituencies to be occupied by women.
Another proposal, HB 1811, seeks to establish six special seats in the House of Representatives for two special interest groups: women and persons living with disabilities, distributed evenly across the six geopolitical zones. Aspirants to these special seats must meet all other qualifications for regular seats. It recommends a regional electoral college for each geopolitical zone, comprising all national officers of the association from the states within the zone, to determine the final representatives for the special seats. Speaker Abbas noted that a woman aspirant might need to campaign across an area larger than a single federal constituency, possibly the size of a whole senatorial district or even more, presenting significant logistical, financial, and time challenges, especially for first-time aspirants.
He also raised the practicality of asking INEC to divide three senatorial districts into two special federal constituencies for women. He questioned, "Which parameters would guide such a division: population, geography, existing constituency boundaries, or administrative convenience?" He emphasized that each option has implications for fairness, feasibility, and acceptability.
Speaker Abbas later inaugurated the 52-member National Strategic Advocacy Committee, tasked with leading advocacy for the passage of HB1349 at the federal and state levels. Since then, numerous town halls, stakeholder engagements, strategic meetings, webinars, and publicity events have been organized. The Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, chaired the special panel, while the Special Assistant to the Speaker on Women Affairs, Yeside Olasimbo, served as the coordinator. This initiative sparked a nationwide mobilization of support and goodwill for the bill.
Since taking office, Speaker Abbas has made profound statements reflecting his passion for gender-based legislation and issues. He established the Committee on Women in Parliament, in addition to the existing Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, marking the first time in the House's history. On February 15, 2024, during a visit by the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS to his office, Speaker Abbas sought EU assistance in women's empowerment. At the inauguration of the House Special Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution on February 26, 2024, he again emphasized the role of women in society. As the House joined the world in celebrating International Women's Day on March 8, 2024, Speaker Abbas expressed his hope that the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution will empower women and place them in a better position in the polity. He restated his commitment to causes promoting women's involvement in politics and governance.
On March 14, 2024, the Speaker hosted 19 EU Ambassadors to Nigeria, discussing strategies to ensure the National Assembly's acceptance of women-related bills. Later, on July 23, 2024, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women Nigeria Member (OCEDAWNM). On October 28, 2024, at the International Legislative Dialogue on Women and Constitution Amendment Process in Nigeria, Speaker Abbas stated, "Our goal is to ensure that Nigerian women, an essential part of our nation's social and economic fabric, secure their rightful place within our governance framework. Empowering women is not only a moral and democratic imperative but also a strategic economic necessity."
Following the international dialogue, a delegation of women in politics visited the Speaker on October 29, 2024, and he expressed optimism that the House would pass the bills. He stated, "I feel sad that we are convening this meeting here and hearing pleas from our mothers for what is rightfully theirs. If I had known this was the purpose, I would have told you to go home and sleep, even snore; that this House will deliver on its promises to you."
He added, "This time, history will be made. This 10th House and the 10th Senate will make it happen. I, as the Speaker, am very confident that all 360 members are on board with this. I am confident that this is achievable. If we can't achieve it with ongoing efforts, it will be a work in progress. But for what we are here for now, it's a done deal as far as the House is concerned."
If members of the House and the Senate are convinced enough to vote for reserved seats for women, it will be a paradigm shift in Nigeria's political history. Speaker Abbas has been instrumental in lobbying, motivating, convincing, inspiring, and mobilizing lawmakers for this significant proposed legislation, and many members have embraced and shared his passion for gender inclusion.
Beyond his personal efforts, several local and international organizations and technical partners have joined the campaign and co-sponsored advocacy on the bill, including the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Gender Mobile, FillHerGap, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Women, among others.
However, the process is not complete until the sub-national level, the state houses of assemblies, concur with the federal parliament on constitutional bills. To meet the constitutional requirement, at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly—24 out of 36—must approve bills passed by the National Assembly.
It is crucial to note that governors have a significant influence on the state Houses of Assembly. They have been encouraged to consider the far-reaching benefits of having women in governance, particularly in parliament at the federal and state levels. The spouses of National Assembly members, female ministers and lawmakers, governors' wives, political parties' women leaders, gender advocates and activists, civil society organizations, and the media are also integral to this major campaign for Nigerian women, joining Speaker Abbas in this endeavor.
Therefore, Speaker Abbas has been urging, reaching out to, and pleading with all stakeholders to look beyond personal sentiments and support this bill for the greater good of democracy, civil rights, and justice. Baiyewu is the chief press secretary to the speaker of the House of Representatives. The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.
