Abuja: The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has vowed to mobilise federal and state lawmakers to support the passage of a bill proposing special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly. This initiative aims to enhance women’s political representation in the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the commitment was made by the Chairman of NGF, Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara, during the 6th Annual Summit of the forum held in Abuja. The summit, themed ‘United for Change: Men and Women Ending Digital Violence Together,’ served as a platform for advocating women’s enhanced participation in politics.
Gov. Abdulrazaq, represented by the Governor of Plateau, Caleb Mutfwang, assured that the NGF would rally their members at the 10th National Assembly to act on HB 1349, the Reserved Seats for Women Bill. He expressed strong support for the initiative, stating, “We are equally supportive of the initiative and campaign for women to have special seats in the Nigerian Parliament. We believe in it, and we are supporting it whole-heartedly.”
In a related development, the Chairperson of Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, emphasized the need for action beyond parliamentary votes to secure the special seats for women in the parliament. She highlighted the importance of engaging political parties and raising awareness to prevent digital violence against women. Olufolake noted that while one in five women in the UK experiences such abuse, the figure in Nigeria is alarmingly higher at 63 percent.