Hundreds of Women Rally in Abuja for Special Seats Bill to Boost Female Representation

Protesters Demand Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee Reserved Legislative Seats for Women

Hundreds of women on Monday stormed the streets of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, demanding the urgent passage of the Special Seats Bill aimed at creating reserved seats for women in the National Assembly. The proposed law seeks to address Nigeria’s severe gender imbalance in governance by allocating one women-only seat per state in both the Senate and House of Representatives, in addition to one for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The demonstration, which organizers said drew more than 1,000 participants, was a colorful show of solidarity. Women’s groups from across the country arrived in buses, vans, and trucks blasting Afrobeats music, marching in a caravan that energized Abuja’s boulevards. The rally ended at the National Assembly, where organizers submitted thousands of signatures backing the bill to the House Committee on Constitutional Review.

Dorothy Njemanze, one of the leading voices of the protest, emphasized the urgency of reform:

“We want the legislature to work for women. Nigeria needs systemic change that ensures fair representation.”

Currently, Nigerian women hold only four out of 109 Senate seats and 16 out of 360 House seats, according to the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC)—making Nigeria one of the lowest-ranked countries in Africa for female political participation.

Advocates Push for Gender Quotas: Supporters argue that special seats would counter longstanding barriers such as limited access to political financing, entrenched patriarchal norms, and exclusion from male-dominated networks of power. Several African nations, including Rwanda and Senegal, have successfully introduced quota systems that significantly increased women’s representation in parliament.

Nigeria’s Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has publicly endorsed the Special Seats Bill. However, experts caution that passing the constitutional amendment remains a formidable challenge. To succeed, it must secure approval from two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least 24 state legislatures—a hurdle that derailed similar proposals in the past.

Despite the obstacles, protesters expressed hope and determination.

“I want that seat, because tomorrow, I may be the one contesting for it,” said Onu Ihunania, a 50-year-old civil servant who joined the march.

For many, the bill represents not just a legislative adjustment, but a historic step toward inclusive governance in Africa’s most populous democracy.

Stay Updated with the Latest News – Follow Daily Observer on X (formerly Twitter) @DailyObserverNG