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Lawmakers vote bill to create exclusive additional seats for women in Senate, House of Reps

House Speaker Gbajabiamila said the bill is an opportunity boost representation of women in politics.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives

The bill seeks to alter the 1999 constitution to push through more political representation for women, hampered for years by low representation in elective offices.

The bill would create an additional Senate seat from each state and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a seat to be exclusively contested by women.

The bill also provides for two additional members for each state legislative houses, seats also to be contested by women.

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When she moved a motion for the bill to be read a second time during plenary on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said it was sponsored by numerous lawmakers in the House, including all the women, and House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.

"It's a very good bill. It's an opportunity for us to be on the positive side of history," Gbajabiamila said.

The bill was passed for second reading, with some noted objection, when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker.

The Senate is made up of 109 seats from across the nation, while the House of Representatives is made up of 360 seats.

The low representation of women in the legislative chambers, as well as across Nigeria's entire political landscape, has been an issue of concern for years.

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However, the creation of additional seats in legislative houses is expected to raise some eyebrows during the public hearing of the bill.

Many critics have complained about the financial drain of running the National Assembly, with lawmakers who are some of the highest paid in the world.

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