Constitution review: Reps consider creation of 302 new parliamentary seats

The House of Representatives is proposing the creation of no less than 302 new seats in the national and state Assemblies for women and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.

The proposed new parliamentary seats encapsulated in two separate bills with the Speaker Tajudeen Abass and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, as lead sponsors, comprise 86 seats in the two chambers of the National Assembly and 216 special seats in the 36 state Houses of Assembly, which shall be exclusively for women and PWDs.

The two bills, which have already been given approval for second reading and referred to the House Committee on Constitution, are seeking to alter Sections 48,49,71, 77, 91 and 117 of the Constitution. The proposed legislations, if eventually passed into law, shall become effective after the expiration of the lifespan of the current National and State Houses of Assembly in 2027.

The Bill on special seats for PWDs is sponsored by Abbas, and titled: “A Bill for an Act to further alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered) to provide for special seats for the physically challenged persons in Nigeria’s federal, state and local government legislative houses and for related matters,” HB. 1931.

The proposed legislation, according to its explanatory memorandum, is aimed at addressing inadequate representation of physically challenged persons in legislatives houses in the country, by creating special seats for them in the three tiers of government “so as to be able to advocate for policies peculiar to their members, among other things.”

It states that the special seats for the PWDs shall consist of one Senate and one House of Representatives seat to be drawn from each of the six geopolitical zone in the country, making a total of 12 seats in the National Assembly and three special seats in each of the 36 state House of Assembly for PWDs.

The proposal also includes creation of one councillorship position for PWDs in each of the 774 local government councils across the country.