Posted by Chinenye on Tue 03rd Nov, 2026 - tori.ng
The National Assembly wants to create 74 extra seats for women in the Senate and House of Representatives, plus three seats in every state assembly.
(Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele. Photo by TheCable)
The National Assembly wants to add 74 seats for women in Nigeria's Senate and House of Representatives.
It also proposes three reserved seats for women in each state House of Assembly.
The aim is to help fix the low number of women in politics.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele announced the plan on Monday at the 2026 Law Week of the FIDA Ekiti chapter in Ekiti State.
He is also vice chairman of the Senate committee reviewing the 1999 Constitution.
He said the new seats would not take away any existing seats.
If approved, the change would add 37 seats to the Senate and 37 to the House of Representatives. Each state and the FCT would get one extra seat in each chamber.
The state assembly seats would be reserved for women for 16 years, or four election cycles.
After that, the system would be reviewed.
Bamidele said the state assemblies must agree, since their approval is required before the change can take effect.
He described the plan as a fair and necessary reform, saying a democracy that leaves out half its population is weak.