NILOWV Holds Town Hall Meeting on Special Seats Bill for Women in Bauchi
By Beatrice Gondyi, Bauchi
In a move to boost women’s political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections, the League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV) has organized a town hall meeting in Bauchi to raise awareness about the Special Seats Bill currently before the National Assembly.
The town hall, themed "Advancing Women's Inclusion and Representation in Leadership and Political Processes in Nigeria," took place at the Professor Iya Abubakar Resource Centre, Bauchi. It aimed at sensitizing the public—especially women—on the significance of the bill, which seeks to increase female representation in Nigeria’s legislative chambers through constitutional amendment.
Dr. Victoria Daaor, NILOWV's Director of Strategy and Technical Lead for the Bauchi project, explained the importance of the initiative.
“We are in Bauchi to sensitize the people, garner support, and engage relevant stakeholders on the proposed additional reserved seats for women in the National Assembly,” she stated.
“The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, even in remote communities. The time has come for women to take their rightful place in governance.”
Dr. Daaor further clarified that the bill does not tamper with existing seats or constituencies but proposes the creation of additional seats exclusively for women—ensuring inclusive representation without displacing any current officeholders.
In her welcome address, Hajiya Zainab Mohammed, Chairperson of NILOWV in Bauchi, thanked stakeholders and participants for their presence.
“This town hall is meant to deliberate on women’s inclusion in governance. We are mobilizing support at the grassroots and sensitizing both men and women about the intent of the bill—it’s not about taking over anyone’s seat, but about adding new ones for women’s voices to be heard,” she said.
The Special Seats Bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, proposes the creation of one additional Senate seat and one House of Representatives seat per state—a total of 74 seats—to be reserved exclusively for women. These seats will be available for four electoral cycles (16 years) and will not alter existing constituencies.
Public hearings on the bill are set to begin in July across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. NILOWV is leading a nationwide sensitization campaign, starting with town hall meetings like the one in Bauchi, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and the Office of the First Lady.
The campaign enjoys support from the United Nations and partnerships with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and several civil society organizations (CSOs).
The Bauchi town hall drew a diverse crowd of participants including CSOs, persons with disabilities (PWDs), religious and traditional leaders, youth groups, politicians, and officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs. Speakers in their goodwill messages described the bill as a "step in the right direction" toward gender equity in political representation.
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