The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has taken it upon himself to sponsor an Executive Bill that will make additional provisions for women to contest under the Reserved Seats Bill.
Abbas made the disclosure on Sunday, 19th October 2026, while delivering his remarks at the State House Banquet Hall.
According to the Speaker, the President is committed to ensuring the bill is passed before the next general election.
“Mr. President has taken it upon himself to sponsor an Executive Bill that will make additional provisions for women to contest under the Reserved Seats Bill. He is going to do it before the next election,” Abbas said.
The Speaker had previously revealed that the leadership of the National Assembly had persuaded President Tinubu to sponsor executive bills for the creation of special legislative seats for women and persons with disabilities, separate from existing constituencies.
The Reserved Seats Bill is aimed at increasing women’s representation in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, an area where Nigeria has continued to lag globally.
Abbas said the proposal had been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review and refinement before transmission to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill.
He described the initiative as an innovation that would significantly increase women’s participation in parliament through a model where beneficiaries would be elected by elected officials.