Hot SourceThe All Progressives Congress (APC) National Woman Leader, Dr. Mary Idele Alile, has made a bold and unambiguous call for a constitutional amendment to guarantee reserved seats for women in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
According to her, this is not just a political reform but a moral necessity — a deliberate act to correct decades of structural exclusion that have kept Nigerian women at the margins of national decision-making.
In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Alile insists that without a legal guarantee of representation, the country will continue to suffer the loss of women’s voices, ideas, and leadership in shaping the laws that govern over 200 million citizens.
She stated: “In the heart of every democracy lies a simple truth: representation is the lifeblood of justice. Yet, in Nigeria’s National Assembly, the presence of women is so scarce that their voices often echo like whispers in a crowded hall.
“This is not merely a statistic — it is a moral wound. A country that silences half of its population can never hear the full truth about itself,” she warns.
“Today, Nigeria stands at a moral crossroad. Other African nations, once considered behind us, have raced ahead in gender inclusion.
“Rwanda, emerging from a history of conflict, now holds the world record for women in parliament — over 60% — not because women begged for space, but because the nation decided it could not heal or prosper without them.
“Senegal and South Africa followed suit, reaping the rewards of laws and policies shaped by both halves of humanity.”
Dr. Alile’s argument is not wrapped in sentiment; it is anchored in justice and responsibility.
“Reserved seats are not a gift to women — they are an obligation of a fair society,” she insists.
She paints a vivid picture of the obstacles Nigerian women face: political godfatherism that shuts them out, financial demands that choke ambition, societal stereotypes that mock their capabilities, and a political climate that too often rewards intimidation over integrity.
“We lose more than elections when women are kept out,” Dr. Alile says softly. “We lose ideas that could save lives, we lose compassion in policy-making, we lose balance in governance.”
Her call is for Nigeria to correct this imbalance deliberately by legislating reserved seats for women in the National Assembly through constitutional amendment.
She believes this is not just a political decision — it is a moral duty to future generations.
“We must ask ourselves,” she challenges, “what kind of Nigeria do we want our daughters to inherit? One where they must beg for a place at the table, or one where their place is guaranteed because we know their value?”
Research supports her stance. Countries with higher female representation consistently score better on education, healthcare, environmental protection, and anti-corruption indices. In such parliaments, debates are broader, solutions more inclusive, and governance more humane. The lesson is clear: when women are part of the decision-making process, society thrives.
But Dr. Alile knows change will not come without courage. She calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, political parties, civil society, and ordinary citizens to stand up for this cause.
“We cannot afford polite delay,” she warns. “Every year we postpone this reform, we are telling millions of Nigerian girls that their dreams must wait. And justice delayed is justice denied.”
Her words linger like an unspoken verdict: A democracy that refuses to seat its women is a democracy half-blind. And a nation that fails to learn from the successes of others will one day be forced to learn from its own failures.
“The question before Nigeria is not whether women deserve a seat in parliament — history has answered that. The real question is whether we have the moral courage to give them that seat now, before another generation passes in the shadow of exclusion.”
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