Kalu: Women’s Reserved Seats Bill a Commitment, Not Tokenism

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said that a bill calling for reserved seats for women must not be seen as an act of tokenism, but a commitment to enhancing their political representation.

Speaking at a Special Dialogue on the Reserved Seats Bill in Abuja on Friday, Kalu stated that the proposed legislation is “proof to our collective commitment to change the narrative and to disrupt the status quo that has long sidelined women from decision-making tables.”

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Sam Hart, the Deputy Speaker, who also chairs the Constitution Reviews Committee, stressed the need to examine the provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution to ensure they promote gender equality.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, advised women to keep pushing for the passage of the bill and to lobby political parties to enact quotas. The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, added that the bill would “deepen democracy (and) enrich governance with inclusivity.”

Founder of the SheThePeople platform, Mrs Mary Ikoku, said, “We are not asking for favour, but what we are asking for are just constitutional rights of women and girls in this country to have rights to leadership.”

During a panel discussion, activist Aisha Yesufu urged the 10th National Assembly to pass the bill, stating, “sign the bill on reserved seats for women if you want to be remembered.”