The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has publicly declared his full support for the Special Seats Bill, describing it as “a bill that will transform our nation by giving voice and opportunity to women who have long been overlooked.”
In what definitely is a historic move towards women’s inclusion and political representation in Nigeria, the monarch made the declaration during a high-level advocacy visit on him at his Palace in Ile-Ife, Osun state.
The visit was led by UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, who had in her company representatives of key women leaders across the country. The visit is part of ongoing nationwide advocacy for the passage of the Special Seats Bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Nigeria’s National and State Houses of Assembly.
In his remarks, the Ooni emphasized the critical role of women in nation-building and the urgency of the bill, stating that: “This bill will turn around our nation and bring great honour and prosperity. It is born out of necessity. No rational being—especially men—should joke about it. Women must have a sense of pride in this journey. We must not fold our hands. I am fully committed—call me in rain, in sunshine, even while I am asleep.”
Speaking during the visit, Ms. Beatrice Eyong emphasized other countries that have improved representation and inclusion of women in key decision-making positions. Highlighting the importance of the bill, she noted, “This Bill has received wide support from citizens and has been endorsed in town halls convened in all the Senatorial Districts in 36 states across the Federation.”
Joining Ms. Eyong on the delegation were notable voices for women’s rights and political inclusion, including renowned Nollywood icon and activist Joke Silva, Chairperson, Women Political Participation Working Group, Ebere Ifendu, National President of League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV) Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, and Executive Director of WIMBIZ, Hansatu Adegbite. Together, they made a passionate and unified appeal for the Ooni to endorse the Bill and jointly lead the campaign towards the passage of the Bill.
The Special Seats Bill seeks to amend the Nigerian Constitution to create additional legislative seats specifically reserved for women at the National and State Houses of Assembly. It is designed to address the historic underrepresentation of women in politics by guaranteeing them a minimum number of seats in the National Assembly (74 Seats) and State Houses of Assembly (108 Seats). The bill is a response to decades of gender imbalance in political leadership and aims to foster inclusive, equitable governance that reflects the diversity of Nigeria’s population.
