Special seats bill, electoral act amendment test Nigeria’s commitment to Inclusion – women Groups

By Blessing Bature 

A coalition of women’s rights and democracy advocacy organisations has raised concerns over recent political developments, warning that Nigeria is drifting further away from inclusive governance despite repeated commitments to democratic reform. 

Speaking on behalf of the consortium, Ebere Ifendu said the developments around the Special Seats Bill, the composition of the APC National Convention Committee, and the recent amendment to the Electoral Act expose a widening gap between rhetoric and reality on women’s political inclusion.

The coalition comprising the Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), 100 Women Lobby Group, Women in Media, Safe-Point and Care Initiative, and other advocacy groups described the Special Seats Bill as no longer a matter of advocacy but a democratic necessity. 

According to Ifendu, Nigerian women continue to face political violence, monetisation of politics, exclusion from party structures and a shrinking civic space, making affirmative legislative intervention the only viable path to improving women’s representation. 

The groups urged the National Assembly to fast-track the bill and called on the Executive to publicly endorse and promptly assent to it.

On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill recently passed by the Senate, the coalition acknowledged the urgency shown in addressing electoral reforms but expressed strong reservations about provisions perceived to weaken the mandatory electronic transmission of results to the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal. 

Ifendu noted that electronic transmission remains a critical safeguard for transparency and public confidence, warning that any rollback could open the door to manipulation, increase post-election disputes and erode trust in the electoral process. 

The groups called on lawmakers to reverse the provision and restore mandatory electronic transmission as a non-negotiable element of credible elections.

The coalition also criticised what it described as the silence of women politicians across party lines amid ongoing political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to show stronger leadership in defending democratic values and inclusion.

The groups concluded that Nigeria is at a critical crossroads, stressing that democratic credibility cannot coexist with systemic exclusion. 

“A democracy that excludes women is not merely incomplete, it is unstable, unjust and unsustainable,” the coalition stated, calling on political parties, the legislature and the executive to move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusion and reform.