Nigeria’s Lawmakers Eye Bigger Assembly – 83 New Seats In Controversial Proposal

The House of Representatives has proposed a constitutional amendment aimed at reserving 10% of seats in the National Assembly for women and 5% for persons with disabilities (PWDs).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The proposal includes the creation of 83 additional seats exclusively for women—55 in the House of Representatives, raising its membership from 360 to 415, and 28 in the Senate, increasing the total number of seats in the National Assembly from 469 to 552.

This development was revealed on Tuesday by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during the official opening of the 2025 National Assembly Open Week and the launch of the 10th House Midterm Legislative Scorecard in Abuja.

According to Abbas, the amendment seeks to enshrine gender and disability inclusion in the Constitution. The reserved seats would be filled through direct elections conducted on separate ballots, with the allocation of seats distributed across states to ensure regional balance.

He further explained that 5% of existing seats would be reserved for persons with disabilities, and candidates would be nominated by accredited disability advocacy organisations.

“A key aspect of our inclusive governance proposal is the introduction of constitutionally backed reserved seats for women and persons with disabilities,” Abbas stated. “Under the draft amendment, 10% of seats in both chambers of the National Assembly will be allocated to women, with state-based distribution to ensure balance.”

“These seats will be contested through direct elections, with staggered terms to promote continuity and mentorship,” he added. “Similarly, 5% of current seats will be set aside for PWDs, with candidates emerging from recognised advocacy groups. These representatives will enjoy equal privileges and committee roles, fully integrated into legislative duties.”

He highlighted the historical underrepresentation of women, noting that in 1960, women held less than 1% of seats. This marginal increase has reached only 3.9% in the House and 4% in the Senate as of recent years, despite women making up nearly half of Nigeria’s population.

Abbas referenced global precedents in countries like Rwanda and Senegal, where constitutional quotas propelled female legislative representation from under 5% to over 30% in a single electoral cycle.