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By Gloria Ikibah

The Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, and wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, have challenged the 10th National Assembly to ensure the passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking Special Reserved Seats for Women, warning that history would judge the legislature by its handling of the landmark proposal.

Speaking on Wednesday during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, both speakers described the bill as one of the most consequential democratic reforms currently before Parliament, insisting that its passage would redefine women’s political participation and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.

The appeal was made during the National Dialogue on the Electoral College Model for the Special Seats Bill, where lawmakers, former public office holders, civil society organisations and development partners gathered to discuss pathways to improving women’s representation in governance.

Nwankwo acknowledged what he described as the impressive legislative output of the 10th National Assembly over the past three years but argued that none of its achievements will surpass the significance of the proposed constitutional amendment.

According to him, the legislation presents a rare opportunity to correct the longstanding exclusion of women from elective positions.

Addressing the Speaker through the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, and Hajiya Fatima Abbas, he urged lawmakers in both chambers to rally behind the bill.

“This is the most important bill before this National Assembly. It is not the budget bill or the tax reform bill. The Special Seats for Women Bill is the greatest legacy this National Assembly can leave behind. If this bill does not pass, the legacy of the 10th National Assembly will be seriously questioned,” he said.

Nwankwo also applauded local and international partners, including the European Union and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), for supporting advocacy aimed at increasing women’s political participation.

He said passing the bill would underscore Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive democracy while bringing the country closer to global standards on gender representation.

In her remarks, Hajiya Fatima Abbas commended the leadership of the House of Representatives under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for promoting openness, legislative reforms and greater public participation through the National Assembly Open Week.

She described the initiative as a demonstration of Parliament’s commitment to transparency and democratic accountability.

“This Open Week reflects our shared belief that democracy thrives when citizens are informed, engaged and able to participate meaningfully in governance. By opening the legislature to dialogue and public engagement, the House of Representatives continues to strengthen public trust and deepen Nigeria’s democratic culture,” she said.

She said the proposed constitutional amendment was both timely and necessary, noting that it seeks to address the persistent underrepresentation of women and other marginalised groups in Nigeria’s political institutions.

“The Special Seats Bill seeks to address the persistent underrepresentation of women and other marginalised groups in elective offices, ensuring that our democratic institutions better reflect the diversity of the Nigerian people. A stronger democracy is one in which every voice has a meaningful opportunity to be heard”, she added.

She called on lawmakers, civil society groups, development partners and other stakeholders to sustain advocacy until the bill becomes law.

Hajiya Abbas also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for advancing institutional reforms and inclusive governance under the Renewed Hope Agenda, while commending First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for championing women’s empowerment through the Renewed Hope Initiative.

She further acknowledged the advocacy efforts of the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA), which she chairs, saying the association had continued to campaign nationwide for increased female representation in governance.

Women leaders push for urgent reforms
Earlier, prominent women leaders, legislators, former public office holders and civil society organisations renewed calls for stronger female representation during the dialogue, describing Nigeria’s current figures as unacceptable.

Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, lamented that women currently occupy only about four per cent of seats in the National Assembly — the lowest representation rate on the African continent.

She said the outcome of the recent party primaries further exposed the structural barriers confronting women seeking elective office.

“Women in Nigeria have been sidelined for far too long. The Reserved Seats for Women Bill deserves urgent attention. Despite the fact that many of the recent primaries were largely predetermined, women were still not adequately accommodated,” Ogbara said.

Sh expressed confidence that the repeated commitments made by the leadership of the National Assembly towards gender inclusion would translate into concrete legislative action.

She explained that the Special Seats Bill would create additional opportunities for women to participate in governance and urged stakeholders to consider the Electoral College Model as one of the practical mechanisms for implementing the reform.

She also commended the House leadership for consistently supporting initiatives aimed at expanding women’s participation in politics.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Patricia Etteh, also threw her weight behind the proposal, arguing that democracies across the world continue to evolve through reforms that improve representation.

She endorsed the Electoral College Model and called for sustained civic education, stronger political party commitment and wider public support to boost women’s participation in politics.

Representing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere reaffirmed the leadership’s commitment to ensuring the Special Seats Bill is passed.

Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson, assured participants that lawmakers would continue to build bipartisan support for the legislation.

The event also featured goodwill messages from representatives of women’s organisations, development partners, as well as the Deputy Governors of Rivers and Kaduna States, all of whom pledged continued support for reforms aimed at making Nigeria’s democracy more inclusive.

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The United States House of Representatives has endorsed an amendment that would increase the withholding of certain US assistance to Nigeria from 50 percent to 100 percent until the country takes effective steps to address violence and improve the protection of its citizens.

The amendment, proposed by Representative Gregory Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District, was adopted by a voice vote on Wednesday.

The House had earlier proposed withholding 50 percent of funds appropriated for Nigeria until the US Secretary of State certifies that the Nigerian government has taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable”.

Under the new amendment, the withholding would increase to 100 percent, while retaining the same conditions for the release of the funds.

Speaking in support of his motion, Steube said withholding only 50 percent of the funds appeared to reward the Nigerian government “despite failure to meet its fundamental obligation to protect citizens”.

“I rise in strong support for my amendment to increase the withholding threshold for assistance to Nigeria, from 50 percent to 100 percent. While keeping in place benchmarks that demand Nigeria take effective steps to address the violence and persecution that continue to devastate the country.

“Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address.

“For years, and especially in recent months, Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria have been subjected to violence and terrorism at the hands of extremists operating with impunity.

“Christian women and girls continue to be abducted, assaulted, tortured, and killed. Their churches are burned, and entire communities are erased.

“If the aid conditions included in the bill are important enough to withhold half of all the funding to the Nigerian government, then they are important enough to withhold all of the funding.

“The generosity of our taxpayers is a reflection of the American values we hold so firmly.

“Never should we allow their hard earned tax dollars to be funnelled to corrupt regimes that fail to uphold religious freedom, fail to adequately confront terrorism, and fail to protect the innocent from persecution.

“So, why are we rewarding a government that fails to meet such a basic obligation?”

Steube said it is absurd to expend foreign aid to Nigeria in the face of rising insecurity, especially as America’s national debt approaches $40 trillion,” Gregory Steube stated.

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Ex- Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has criticised what he described as double standards in the investigation into the death of physiotherapist Mary Habila, saying the public response would have been entirely different if the victim had been the daughter of a government official

Dalung made the remark while reacting to the controversy surrounding Habila’s death at the country residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Speaking in a video shared on social media, the former minister questioned the pace and manner of the investigation, arguing that ordinary Nigerians are often subjected to harsher scrutiny than powerful public office holders.

“If Umahi’s daughter had been found naked in a poor man’s house, Nigeria would be burning,” Dalung said, suggesting that the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death would have attracted a different level of public outrage and official response if the roles had been reversed.

Mary Habila, a 26-year-old physiotherapist from Kaduna State, was found dead at Umahi’s residence on June 27, 2026. She was reportedly attached to the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works.

Umahi has since confirmed the incident, describing Habila as a dedicated member of staff who had worked with him for about three years. He said emergency medical personnel were contacted immediately after she was found unresponsive and disclosed that he advised the family to consent to an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The minister has repeatedly denied allegations of any cover-up, insisting that he has nothing to hide and supports a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the physiotherapist’s death.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force transferred the case to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, as public interest in the incident continues to grow.

Dalung’s remarks add to the increasing calls for transparency and accountability in the investigation, with many Nigerians demanding that the case be thoroughly investigated and that its outcome be made public regardless of the status of those involved.