First Lady Remi Tinubu has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to deliver a historic breakthrough for women’s political representation by passing the Women’s Special Seats Bill now before the legislature.
She made the appeal on Friday night at a dinner she hosted for Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and other principal officers of the National Assembly, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mrs. Tinubu said the gathering felt like a reunion with colleagues and partners she had previously worked with during her years in the Senate, noting that she was delighted to reconnect with lawmakers who shared past legislative battles with her.
“This room is filled with familiar faces, colleagues and friends with whom I have debated, loved, disagreed, for ultimately working side-by-side to advance legislation that centralizes the objectives of our nation,” she said.
The First Lady used the occasion to draw attention to recent challenges confronting the country, especially the threat posed to children’s education and access to basic needs due to insecurity.
She warned that when young people are denied food, clothing, shelter, and learning opportunities, they become vulnerable to manipulation by groups offering false promises.
Turning to legislative priorities, Mrs. Tinubu urged the lawmakers to stand firmly behind the Women’s Special Seats Bill, which seeks to create additional constitutionally backed seats for women in the National Assembly and state legislatures.
She noted that the proposal has continued to attract significant interest both locally and internationally.
“I have watched with keenness, in recent months, as very well-interested groups across our country and even international bodies have carried the mention of this particular bill. The question is, is the topic of this discussion new? Definitely not,” she said.
She stressed that the 10th National Assembly has a unique opportunity to write its name in history by backing the measure. “If we do this now, the 10th will go down in the history of our legislature as a set that stood for women when we counted the most. This is the time to take care of our girls and boys,” she added.
Mrs. Tinubu also referenced global examples where deliberate gender-inclusive policies increased women’s participation in governance and produced more balanced decision-making.
She called on lawmakers to demonstrate similar courage and foresight.
“Nigeria can and should also benefit from such progressive ideologies. And in whatever way the results speak for women here before, or any other measure that supports women, I trust in your collective wisdom, your experience, and your patriotism to steer the nation towards the solution that is constitutionally sound and politically located,” she said.
The dinner, which brought together the top echelon of the National Assembly, was part of ongoing engagements aimed at building consensus around legislative reforms that enhance inclusion and broaden democratic representation.
