IPAC Pushes For 74 Reserved National Assembly Seats For Women As 2027 Approaches

With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has renewed its push for legislative action to boost women’s representation in Nigeria’s political space.

The council is advocating for the passage of a pivotal bill that would constitutionally reserve 74 seats in the National Assembly exclusively for women.

The proposal was central to discussions at a two-day empowerment conference held in Abuja, themed ‘Breaking the Barriers and Shaping Positive Attitudes Towards Inclusive Politics in Nigeria’.

Organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in partnership with IPAC’s Directorate of Women Affairs, the event brought together prominent voices pushing for gender equality in politics.

IPAC’s National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, used the forum to emphasise the council’s commitment to inclusive governance. He reaffirmed that IPAC would not relent in its campaign for the bill’s approval by both the National Assembly and the Presidency.

“Accordingly, IPAC reiterates its call for the passage of the bill on the reservation of special seats for women in parliament, currently pending in the National Assembly. The bill seeks to create 74 seats for women to encourage greater female participation in politics,” said Dr Dantalle.

To institutionalise its inclusive agenda, IPAC revealed that it has set up three specialised directorates dedicated to Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities. These directorates are expected to play a crucial role in reshaping political party dynamics and ensuring equity in representation from grassroots to national levels.

Dantalle noted the need to eliminate systemic inequalities that have long excluded women from active political engagement. These barriers include entrenched cultural biases, economic exclusion, and unequal access to education.

“In any democratic society, the active participation of women in politics is crucial to achieving inclusivity, equality, equity, and sustainable development,” he emphasised.

In his wider advocacy, Dantalle also stressed the importance of enacting the Electoral Offences Commission bill, pointing to its necessity in promoting clean elections and accountability.

“Council urges the National Assembly to also pass the Electoral Offences Commission bill into law to enable the prosecution of electoral offenders and their sponsors,” he added.

As part of broader electoral reform, IPAC proposed consolidating Nigeria’s election days into a single-day voting model. Citing successful examples from the U.S., Ghana, and Sierra Leone, Dantalle suggested that a unified election day would ease logistics and cut costs.

“A single-day election will reduce costs, minimise disruption, and address logistical challenges,” Dantalle stated.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, offered a more radical approach to fast-tracking gender parity. She called on political parties to revise their constitutions to guarantee women occupy at least half of all elective and appointive roles.

“One solution I recommend is for all political parties to immediately amend their constitutions to create special seats for women. Parties should mandate the allocation of at least 50 per cent of appointments and elective positions to women,” she said.

Tallen also pushed for the adoption of the ‘Zebra Policy,’ a gender-based nomination system that alternates male and female candidates on party platforms. She argued that political parties, as architects of leadership, must also be champions of social reform.

“Since political parties are central to governance and policy direction, they must take the lead in addressing religious and cultural norms that hinder women’s involvement,” she added.

Tallen concluded her remarks with a direct appeal to Nigeria’s First Couple.

“President Bola Tinubu should lead the charge for gender inclusion. Mrs Oluremi Tinubu should use her position to champion the mainstreaming of women in Nigerian politics,” Tallen urged.

Tallen decried Nigeria’s poor global record in female political representation. With only 4.2% of seats in the National Assembly currently held by women, she noted that the country trails far behind nations like Rwanda, where women dominate 64% of the legislature.

“As the Giant of Africa, Nigeria must take the lead in gender mainstreaming and dismantling gender bias in politics,” she said.