The House of Representatives has introduced a bill to amend Section 49 of the 1999 Constitution, proposing six additional seats to improve representation for women and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) (Six Special Seats for Special Interest Groups) Bill, 2024 (HB.1811),” was presented on Wednesday during plenary for its first reading.
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House Spokesman Akintunde Rotimi (Ekiti-APC), who sponsored the bill, highlighted its purpose to increase the number of seats in the House from 360 to 366, with the six additional seats specifically reserved for women and PWDs. According to the bill, these seats would be distributed evenly across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, ensuring representation for both groups in each region.
Candidates for these special seats would need to meet all qualifications required for standard House membership, and their selection would involve a multi-tiered electoral process. Elections for these roles would be held through an electoral college comprising representatives from national associations of each special group, with participation from grassroots and regional levels.
Once elected, these representatives would serve the same term as other House members, receiving equivalent benefits as outlined in the bill. Rotimi explained that this amendment seeks to “ensure that the voices of underrepresented groups are heard at the national level, creating a more balanced and inclusive legislative framework for Nigeria.”
