The wife of the monarch of Enhwe Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, Betty Efekodha, and the Coordinator of the Tinubu Torchbearers Initiative (TTBI), Delta State chapter, Minnie Igbrude, have thrown their weight behind the proposed Reserved Seats for Women Bill, describing it as a significant step towards addressing gender imbalance in Nigeria’s political leadership.
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Key Highlights
- Enhwe royal wife Betty Efekodha and TTBI Delta coordinator Minnie Igbrude back the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.
- The bill would create 74 extra National Assembly seats for women: 37 in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives.
- It also provides three reserved seats for women in each state House of Assembly, 108 in total.
- The arrangement would run for 16 years, or four electoral cycles, before review.
- The bill, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, needs approval by at least two-thirds of state assemblies.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to create 74 additional seats for women in the National Assembly, comprising 37 seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives, with one seat allocated to women in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in both chambers.
The proposal also provides for three additional reserved seats for women in each of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, amounting to 108 seats at the subnational level.
The proposed seats would not displace existing constituencies or elected representatives, while the special arrangement would operate for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, before a comprehensive review.
“When you train a woman, you train a nation”
Speaking in an interview with The Trumpet, Betty Efekodha described the proposal as a welcome development, noting that women have remained inadequately represented in the country’s lawmaking institutions.
She told The Trumpet that the initiative would provide women with greater opportunities to participate in governance, influence policies and contribute meaningfully to national development.
According to her, reserving seats for women would ensure that their voices are heard in political decision-making, particularly on issues affecting women and families.
She urged Nigerians and relevant stakeholders to support the proposal and ensure its actualisation.
The Enhwe Kingdom royal wife maintained that empowering women politically would have positive implications for families and society, stressing that women play indispensable roles in family development and nation-building.
“When women are favoured, the families are favoured. Because a woman, when you train a woman, you train a nation,” she said.
Efekodha further argued that the family remains a critical component of society, adding that the wellbeing of families was closely connected to the overall health and development of the nation.
Read also:
- Gender advocates support bill to reserve parliamentary seats for women
- National Assembly Sends 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill to 36 State Assemblies
- Igbrude urges pro-Tinubu group to deepen collaboration, grassroots mobilization
Igbrude: Bill will strengthen women’s voice
Also speaking in the same vein, the Coordinator of the Tinubu Torchbearers Initiative (TTBI), Delta State chapter, Minnie Igbrude, lauded the proposed bill, saying it would strengthen women’s participation in governance and address their inadequate representation in political leadership if passed and implemented.
Igbrude, who has been at the forefront of grassroots women mobilisation and political sensitisation across Delta State, called on stakeholders to support the initiative and ensure its actualisation.
She maintained that greater female representation in legislative institutions would give women a stronger voice in policymaking and enable them to contribute more meaningfully to national development, adding that empowering women politically would also translate into stronger families and a better society.
The proposed legislation, advanced by Senate Leader and Vice Chairman of the Senate Constitution Review Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, is part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution and requires legislative approval as well as the concurrence of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
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