The bill, among others, proposes to amend Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution to provide one special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the FCT.
The House of Representatives passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and State Assemblies on Tuesday.
The legislator noted that the bill is"anchored on the fundamental principle of equitable representation and aims to empower women by ensuring their voices are not only heard but that they actively contribute to shaping the legislative landscape and the overall development of our nation." Mr Chinda said Nigeria is ranked the least in terms of gender representation in Africa, noting that there is a need to address the gap through the proposed legislation.
Ahmed Jaha urged his colleagues to allow the bill to scale the second reading and enable Nigerians to participate in determining the future of the bill. "Accepting this bill is against democratic principles, and it is undermining human rights. This should be rejected. Of course, I can support women if there is a political provision for non-elective positions. If we continue on this path, we are undermining political parties," he said.
"How I wish I were not the one presiding because there is no way I will rule that it would not be seen as biased. I think this bill should be stepped down. It is not being stepped down for the merit of it but to avoid the conflict of interest. The bill should be stepped down until the day I am not presiding," he said.
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