A coalition of women groups, Women Political Participation (WPP), has called for speedy passage of the special legislative seats for women constitutional amendment bill by the National Assembly.

The coalition made the call at the Special Seats Solidarity rally held at the National Assembly Complex entrance on Monday in Abuja.

Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the rally, a civil society activist, Mrs Ene Obi, said that the rally was to commend the national assembly for the efforts so far put in advancing the bill.

Obi called on the lawmakers who had yet to make up their minds to step up and vote for the bill.

She explained that after voting at the national level, the bill still needed the support of at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before being assented to, urging the assembly to act fast.

Obi said that INEC had released the timetable for the 2027 general elections, adding that women needed to get ready and mobilise ahead of the elections.

“With the level capacity we have among Nigerian women, it is a big shame that we have very little representation of women; we have 14 houses of assembly without a single woman.

“Women need to be on the table to take decisions on issues affecting women like maternal death, among others.

“We are here to let them know that we are watching. In March, we will be organising solidarity awards for those who have openly supported the bill.

“We want those who will be voting to be identified so we can trace them down to their constituency for what they are doing and done,” she said.

Chairman of the coalition, Ms Ebere Ifendu, commended the attention being given to the Electoral Act amendment bill, saying that equal attention should be given to the special women seats bill.

“We are here to remind them that while they are dealing with the electoral act amendment bill, the special women seat bill is as important as the electoral act because we are talking about electoral integrity and there cannot be electoral integrity without inclusion.

“So this is an opportunity to correct every wrong that we have in the constitution; the special seat bill is a way to get more women into governance.

“We are hoping that when it comes to voting, I mean, as they are converging tomorrow to look at the literal arts, we are saying it’s not too much to also look at the special seats bill,” he said.

Also speaking, Ms Adora Jack, a civil society activist, commended the assembly for the political will to advance the bill as well as the public support for women.

Adora, however, said that political will would not be complete without the required political results, urging the assembly to pass the bill early, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“At the end of the day, we are looking at an election cycle, come 2027, where we will see women being able to go to the polls and to be voted for.

“We are asking them to please look at the timelines, look at the urgency of the bill and the ability to pass the bill early enough time for women to participate, even at the primaries, at the political party level.

“If we miss this chance, it means that women are going to take forward the calendar and go into 2031, and that will be the next election cycle.

“And if we lose this chance of passing this bill, remember, we were here in 2022 and we protested.

“But this time, we are doing this solidarity walk, saying to the National Assembly that your political will become political action, and that political action is to vote and pass the special seats bill for women,” he said.

Another activist, Ms Yeside Olasinbu, commended Speaker Abbas Tajudeen for putting in so much effort to sustain the momentum in support of the special women.

Olasinbu said that no stone had been left unturned by the office of the speaker to ensure the passage of the bill.

She urged members of the national assembly yet to openly declare their support for the bill to do so in the interest of their wives, mothers, daughters and the entire country.

The activist said that the prosterity would remember the 10th national assembly for good if they succeeded in passing the special women seat bill.