The House of Representatives is proposing 82 reserved seats in the National Assembly, 55 in the House and 27 in the Senate, for women and persons with disabilities as part of ongoing constitutional amendments.

Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, disclosed this on Tuesday during the 2nd Legislative Open Week in Abuja, noting that 10% of seats would be allocated to women and 5% to PWDs, to promote inclusive governance.

“These seats would be filled through direct elections on separate ballots. PWD seats will be nominated through accredited advocacy organisations,” Abbas said.

He added that the reform is aimed at correcting decades of gender imbalance. “At independence, women held less than 1% of seats.

“Today, it has barely moved,” he said, citing countries like Rwanda and Senegal that have significantly improved women’s representation through quotas.

The House is currently considering 109 amendment bills, including reforms on elections, judicial processes, and fiscal accountability.

Abbas said 2,263 bills have been introduced in the current Assembly, with 55 already signed into law, including key reforms like the Student Loan Act and the amended Electricity Act.

On citizens’ participation, Abbas revealed that 621 petitions have been received—24 resolved, 30 dismissed, and 567 still under review.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who also spoke at the event, praised the House’s legislative strides and pledged Senate support.

Akpabio said a joint open week was being planned and decried the high turnover rate in the legislature, which he said affects institutional memory.

Other former speakers, Yakubu Dogara and Patricia Ette, urged lawmakers to deepen public engagement and uphold accountability.

Abbas assured that the 10th House will continue to prioritise inclusive and responsive lawmaking, while strengthening ties with the executive to deliver results for Nigerians. (The PUNCH)