Hot SourceFunmi Ogundare
ElectHER, a non-governmental organisation committed to increasing women’s participation in politics through advocacy, training and community building, has called on the National Assembly to urgently pass two critical constitutional amendment bills — the Independent Candidacy Bill and the Reserved Seat for Women Bill — to enhance inclusivity and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process.The Founder, Ibijoke Faborode, made the appeal during ElectHER’s active participation in all six zonal public hearings organised by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution.
The hearings, held across the country in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Borno, Imo, Ondo, Bayelsa and Lagos, provided a platform for civic groups and citizens to propose key reforms.
“These bills are vital to addressing deep-rooted voter apathy, enhancing political accountability and ensuring more equitable representation,” Faborode stated in its memorandums to the committee.
On the Independent Candidacy Bill (HB 1630), the founder noted that it seeks to allow qualified Nigerians to run for elective office without being affiliated with any political party.
She argued that the reform would democratise the political space and open it to a broader range of voices.
The Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349), she noted, is aimed at addressing Nigeria’s gender imbalance in governance, adding that the bill proposes temporary gender quotas, including 37 additional seats in the National Assembly and three per state in state Houses of Assembly, over four electoral cycles.
Faborode stressed the need for lawmakers to prioritise the passage of the two bills to ensure a more inclusive and representative political system and for citizens to engage with and support the constitutional review process to help drive reform.
“There is also the need for elevate national discourse around inclusive governance to keep the issue in the public eye,” she said.
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